Reflection on Democracy and Politics in Tony Wright's "British Politics"

The British political system has been called democratic. In a way, it is. The majority party, as elected by the people, has a tremendous amount of power. At any given time, it can dictate legislation and point the country in any direction it chooses (within reason). Political power is centralized within the executive office, which is run by the Prime Minister, the leader of the popularly-elected majority party.

However, while the British system may be called democratic in that it occasionally allows its citizens to vote for “two and a half” parties, the parties and not the people run the political system. Their insularity and total control over the government and its political agenda make it difficult for democratic politics or societal plurality to play out. This definitely allows for expedient governance, but is this a good thing?

Bernard Crick in his work In Defense of Politics extols politics as the arena in which important societal issues of the day can be worked out through compromises and power struggles. Yet, how are these issues to be adequately raised if the political system does not accurately represent its society? The narrow party system and the extent to which the parties control the political process, from the candidates to the manifesto, severely restricts individual preference, thus preventing issues from coming to the table.

The British system has a very long and proud tradition. It has proven resilient in the face of adversity and capable of adapting to change. Globalization has altered the contemporary British landscape, both in terms of its demographics and the types of questions its citizens ask of their government. Perhaps it’s time again for the British system to adapt to its surroundings and become more democratic, representative, and accountable.