People in the media have suggested that the very low turnout in
Thursday’s elections for police commissioners was a blow for democracy. I don’t agree.
A refusal to vote in some circumstances can give a louder
message than going out to vote, and I think that this was the case this time.
The level of information provided by the Government about
the purpose of the new Police Commissioners, and the nature of the Police
Authority, the body that they have replaced, was insultingly sparse. Were the Government to be fully committed to
the idea of police commissioners, should they not have had enough respect for
the intelligence of the electorate to make sure that it was properly informed?
It is wrong to assume that everyone will look on the
internet to find out information about candidates standing for election. It is still the case that many people do not
have access to computers. Moreover, if the reason for an election is not
properly understood it is unlikely that people will bother.
In order to vote people need information. In my view it is a sign of maturity and
sophistication in an electorate, if, when they neither know the candidates or
understand the issues, they decide not
to vote.
Not a failure of democracy at all…just a failure of
communication and lack of commitment to their own policy on behalf of the Government.
No comments:
Post a Comment