CPF Winter Conference: Day Two
Tom Litten, our CPF co-ordinator in Lincolnshire, shares his thoughts on day two of the CPF Winter Conference.
Sunday began with a workshop about CPF, how it is working, what we want it to do in the future. CCHQ will soon be circulating an online survey to all members on these topics and will then feed back the results.
The final panel session was the loudest of the weekend. The topic was ‘How meaningful is democracy in Britain?’ The panel was James Elles, MEP since 1984; Jessica Lee MP, PPS to Dominic Grieve, the Attorney General; and Cllr Gary Porter, leader of South Holland District Council. Chaired by Oliver Sells QC.
The first part of the discourse was about the differences in principle and practice between participatory democracy and representative democracy. James was urgent in his view that social networks are changing the face and practice of politics under our noses and the potential to create a significant movement for a particular policy quickly and cheaply is with us now and, like it or not, this is the reality within which politicians must live and work. And, as the hewers of wood and drawers of water in the political world, so must we. Jessica, while contributing to the general debate, was most concerned to take back to the party, and to Dominic, what was being said and asked for. Gary threw a large rock into a small pool.
He declared that the voters do not want participatory governance. They do not want to be asked what to do. They have voted for others to do that for them. Having lit the blue touch paper he did not retire. But amid the outraged uproar, I remember that in every field of political activity that I have engaged in – student politics, trade union politics, parish politics, district elections, county elections, Westminster elections, Brussels elections – there have always been people telling me that the voters don’t want to talk principles or policies, just answers. Gary’s case is real and strong. The question is whether we want to settle for this as the way to proceed or not.
We can continue to put the issues, the factors, the choices before the electorate and let them choose whether to respond, just as they choose whether to vote, because they have a right to it. Or we can stop intruding in their Saturday nights and just do it all for them. If the latter, we should close the CPF project, fold our tents and slip away into the night.
Although Gary’s rock produced the biggest waves, the Localism Bill ran it a close second. Members from many parts of the country stressed the democratic deficit that yawns between proclaiming a commitment to localism while declaring ‘National Interest’ on so many matters. Housing, HS2, and wind turbines were focuses in this issue. At several points this topic left ‘How meaningful is…’ and become ‘Is there any ….’
This was a really successful conference for CPF and, thus, a really successful conference for the party. If they/we can do one this good again, I strongly recommend that everybody makes a serious effort to get there.
