faith in politics
democracy and accountability
Background
- The system of MPs' pay and allowances has been one of the leading domestic political issues of the past year. The reputation of - and public confidence in - all our politicians and political institutions has collapsed. This crisis for democracy needs as much urgent and careful attention as fixing the expenses rules that gave rise to it.
- New technology is providing many people with new ways in which they can express their opinions and participate in public debates. At the same time traditional forms of political engagement are in decline. Membership has fallen across all political parties, whilst voter turnout at general, local and European elections has also dropped. The fall in turnout and disenchantment with mainstream parties were major contributory factors to the election of two British National Party (BNP) members to the European Parliament in 2009.
- Devolution and reform at Westminster has substantially changed the UK constitution since 1997. Directly elected mayors and cabinet style government at a local level have sought to invigorate and empower communities - with mixed results. The adoption of the Human Rights Act and freedom of information laws have equipped citizens with greater powers to challenge authority. Reforms to the House of Lords have largely removed the influence of the hereditary element, ended single party dominance and overhauled the role of the lord chancellor. The creation of a new Supreme Court and abolition of the law lords have given effect to a separation of the legislature and the judiciary, bringing to an end parliament's historic role as the highest court in the land.
Issues
- Standards in public life - Restoring public trust in democracy is essential if participation in this and future elections is not to decline further. Political parties have prevented some MPs from seeking re-election because of the expenses issue and there will be understandable public anger directed towards those individuals standing again who have been implicated by the media. Ensuring that a sense of proportion is maintained and that concerns about proper accountability and trust are balanced against equipping politicians with the necessary resources to do their job will be important.
- Electoral reform - All parties have spoken positively about improving the ability of voters to petition parliament, and to ‘recall' their MPs between elections if they are found guilty of impropriety. Suggestions for reform include reducing the number of MPs by 10%, holding a national referendum on changing the voting system from first-past-the-post to one of proportional representation and reducing the voting age to 16.
- Constitutional questions - All major political parties favour continued major restructuring of our constitutional framework. Key issues revolve around whether a written constitution or a Bill of Rights is necessary or desirable, and how to resolve the ‘West Lothian question' (where Scottish MPs in Westminster vote on matters which only affect England). The future of the Church of England as an established Church is occasionally called into question.
- House of Lords reform - There is a degree of consensus between the leaderships of the three main parties that reform of the House of Lords should continue and that its future membership should be majority or wholly elected. However there is a wide divergence of opinion within all parties in both Houses about whether and what type of future reform is desirable, and what level of priority ought to be given to it. As well as legislating to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers, recent reforms have sought to modernise the House of Lords by introducing a new ‘lord speaker', giving the house powers to suspend or expel peers guilty of misdemeanour, and by allowing those who wish to, to ‘retire' from the peerage.
- Devolution - There is ongoing discussion in different parts of the UK about the extent of devolution. This may be about when to transfer policing and justice power to the Northern Ireland Assembly, or greater powers in the Welsh Assembly. Scotland's future within the UK is in question, with the Scottish National Party (SNP) government pushing for independence. There are also issues around the distribution of funds for public services in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Questions
- How can we encourage more citizens to get involved in politics and to use their right to vote?
- What should MPs be doing to restore trust in parliament and between themselves and their constituents?
- How great a role ought religious communities take in influencing the political process?
Further information
Richard Chapman, Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs,
The Church of England
Contact: Email 
Website 
Please note: the views and analysis outlined in this paper are those of the author alone and do not constitute a statement of policy on the part of the organisation the author belongs to.
Faith in Politics: Acknowledgement and thanks
