To what extent can the UK be considered democratic?
As UK citizens, it is true that we enjoy a plethora of civil liberties, some of which would be deemed unacceptable or illegal in less tolerant societies. However, despite this apparent freedom, many argue that the UK is not as democratic as it may seem. The workings of the political system in this country are often much less representative than they perhaps should be, and in 1976, Lord Hailsham coined the phrase ‘elective dictatorship’ when predicting what Britain was heading towards. Although this has not actually happened, there are still many areas of government over which regular British citizens have no say.
The UK is labelled as a representative democracy. This means that all British, Irish or Commonwealth citizens over the age of 18, who are on the electoral register and are resident in a parliamentary constituency in the UK, have the right to vote at various levels in order to elect representatives who can express their views on their behalf. These can include MPs, town or parish councillors or MEPs. This is called universal suffrage. Anyone who is entitled to vote is also allowed to stand as a candidate in an election. The people excepted from standing as MPs were first listed in the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (this has since been updated), but they still include prisoners, members of the House of Lords and certain people employed by the Crown. General elections must be held at least once every five years, and because of this, the next one must occur on or before 3rd June 2010.
The UK is also referred to as a liberal democracy. The term ‘liberal’ here does not mean that a liberal party is in power (Labour being social democrats), but instead it shows that a fairly liberal ideology is in place in society. This grants citizens or residents of the UK many freedoms, which, as aforementioned, would not be acceptable, legal or tolerated in certain societies around the world. It is also said that we live in a pluralist society, which implies tolerance of differing beliefs and ideologies amongst individuals or groups. It is this tolerance which allows these civil liberties to be in place. The freedom of speech means that no one can be prosecuted for expressing how he or she feels on any issue, as long as they are not inciting racial hatred, violence or terrorism. Some would argue that these criteria are actually undemocratic, as they restrict freedom of speech and therefore remove a key element of democracy (for some people, if they choose to air radical views). Free press is enjoyed in the UK, and it means that anything can be printed or broadcast by the media as long as it does not pose a threat to national security. If an article or publication is believed to pose such a threat, then the government can, in the form of a DA Notice (Defence Advisory Notice), request that the item is not published or distributed. The media does not have to accept them, but they generally are acknowledged and complied with. Another freedom enjoyed by people in the UK is that of freedom of assembly. This is usually synonymous with the right to protest (which is protected in Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)), and it means that individuals are permitted to come together to promote a common interest, be this a protest, a celebration or a trade union (which is also referred to as freedom of association), without government intervention. The police are not allowed to break up these assemblies unless they deem they have become riotous (if they believe that there is a threat to property or people). These liberties are all derived from the ECHR and the Human Rights Act 1998. The Disability Discrimination Act, the Equal Pay Act 1970 and the Race Relations Act 1976 are just some of many Acts which prevent discrimination by employers or other bodies solely on the grounds of, for example, gender, race, religion, disability or sexuality.
