In 2010 the Coalition legislated to change the governance of police forces, introducing Police and Crime Commissioners. Ministers said that the aim was to give local communities a stronger voice in policing, and appealed for people with no previous political experience to come forward to stand in the first elections in November 2012.
I have an active interest in politics, and decided I would stand as a independent candidate in my local area. I found that the barriers for independents are huge. In the event, the main parties put up candidates up in most seats. They brought their aggressive – and often dishonest – campaigning methods with them from other elections, and their usual distrust of each other was combined against anyone from outside the political tribes. It was a baptism of fire for anyone who hadn’t been schooled in the dark arts of electioneering. Inevitably, I was outspent by each party, in the case of the winner by a factor of 100:1, and could not compete with the organisational capacity of established parties.
By building on other networks, including a number of supportive local churches, I came in third place out of five candidates, closely behind the Labour Party with twice the votes of either Lib Dems or UKIP. But if we’re serious about drawing more people into politics, including those from outside the political class, and if the dichotomies of left and right are dissolving, and if we want politics to be open to those who aren’t strongly partisan, then we need to offer independents more support. The impact of people like Martin Bell, MP 1997-2001 need not be exceptional, it could become the norm – but how?
Prior to 2012 I voted for the same party in almost every election in 34 years, like most people I never joined it. I have an interest in people who support all of the mainstream parties, and friends who are standing as candidates to be MPs for Green, UKIP, Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative parties in this week’s election – I know that they’re all motivated to serve the common good and often have similar values to each other. Like most people, I find it strange that elections are still dominated by such a party spirit. It’s not as if it’s winning hearts and minds. This week the Labour Party celebrated their membership rising to 200,000 people, a 15 year high, making them the largest British Party by some margin. Yet this only exposes the extent of the deterioration in the membership numbers of our three main parties since a peak in the mid-1950s.
While there are other ‘new entrants’, the main parties maintain a stranglehold on the setting of public policy despite a combined membership of less than 1% of the population. This is clearly unsustainable. For representative roles which are more local and individual - such as city mayors - or perhaps more specific and technical – such as the PCCs – it would be much healthier if the voting public had a broader choice, including a candidates who are independent of mainstream political parties, such as the 30% of Police and Crime Commissioners who were elected in 2012. And where mainstream political parties have proven themselves collectively incompetent on a particular issue, or where there is not a sufficiently diverse or representative debate on a policy theme, space ought to be made for single issue parties, such as the twenty National Health Action Party members who are standing this week.
It will be hard to change how the system operates, but there are some concrete measures that could be taken.
First, we need to ensure that the media gives greater attention to independents. Of course, journalists will give attention to those most likely winners, but experience shows that even when independents are genuinely in the running established media outlets default to reporting or giving platforms to established parties. Independents are disadvantaged just because they have not personally participated in previous elections, making it extremely difficult for them to break the political cartel. This also applies to public events - church hustings events, for example, often refuse independents a platform.
Second - and on a very practical level - we need to democratise data, access to which is vital to the successful operation of a political campaign. All of the parties are entitled to hold onto electoral role data from earlier elections – yet independents only have access to this data from a few weeks before the election. A more flexible arrangement is needed regarding the dates of nominations and the availability of such data. Bluntly, parties begin to campaign long before the formal electoral period. Already disadvantaged in terms of the electoral groundwar, giving independents early access to such tools could even the odds. A proper review of this process is needed.
Third, churches and other religious institutions should do a better job of political education. They should consider focusing on public policy issues between elections in such a way that allows members and friends to better understand what is being done in our name in Parliament and in our councils and how closely this coincides with manifesto promises made by the big parties, and how closely this links to pressure groups such as NHA. Over time this will encourage people who are attracted to party agendas to join them in a much more holistic manner - but independence should be given space as an authentic option for Christians. Generally speaking, they're guided to the three main parties as the only legitimate options.
What is certain is that in the absence of widespread party membership, we need to find new ways of mobilising individuals and groups of people to shape politics. In August I visited the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, observing dozens of small communities enthusiastically engaged in the Independence debate. Such engagement cannot be forced or whipped up, but all of us can and perhaps should, consider how we can help shape the political discourse in our own communities. Whatever form the future political landscape takes, small groups of ordinary people collaborating over common ideas really do have the potential to change society and help set its laws if they wish to. The frustration that many of us feel over the way in which big money exercises influence at the heart of government can lead to cynicism, or alternatively provoke us to find likeminded people so we can change society for the better. So many people of good will and considerable abilities want to make a difference, but are filled with dread at the prospect of joining a political party. Anyone reading this blog who is inspired to change their community is welcome to contact me - there are people that can help.
Ian Chisnall is a community development worker, with roles in the private, voluntary & community sectors (particularly with a faith dimension). In 2011, he stood as a candidate in the election for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex. He's on twitter @IanChisnall.
Image copyright Ian Chisnall.
