Trust in politics is dead: long live ‘wiki-politics’

bill

Nice article. I think there is another reason people are furious about MPs. Many people feel MPs have delegated their primary purpose to the EU and are useless at their remaining tasks. In such circumstances paying them a salary let alone expenses seems otiose.

Austin Barry

The situation is compounded by the flight of the best and brightest from politics. I mean, who, after all, would really want to spend their days surrounded by expense-fiddling non-entities, being ridiculed by the press and followers of the Absentionist party, putting the moves on Hazel Blears and trying to avoid being button-holed at the members bar by such excruciatingly intense and completely preposterous characters such as the Miliband boys?

Cogito Ergosum

The old-fashioned remedy would be to say that the country needs a good war. For in wartime there is no place for spin, only for effective action and strategic forethought.

But this may happen sooner than you think. In 1933 Germans had lost faith in traditional politicians, so they voted for Hitler.

Goodness knows we are facing a real war, even if the phrase "War on Terror" fails to identify the real enemy.

Dwight Vandryver

I can't help but feel that whenever Westminster decides to self-flagellate over the conduct of its MPs, it usually coincides with the burying of other bad news. Today it was revealed that at least £90 billion of Northern Rock's liabilities were officially brought on to the public sector's balance sheet. Then there's the £2 billion of public money to rescue the failed privatisation of the London Underground. The media always fall into the trap of sensationalizing the antics of Westminster to the detriment of the really serious news that affects the pockets of everyone. I wonder who manipulates the media this way. Whoever they are, they do a damned fine job and deserve a few extra quid on their swindle sheets.

ian skidmorei

your suggestion of Frank Field is the only way to save Parliament. Though you woul still have toget over the fact that the talent to govern was lst in the 19th century

Baden Morton

Fraser Nelson ignores the two most important reasons for the rise in abstentions. These are, of course, the blatant dishonesty of the "political establishment" and the almost identical policies offered by the three parties. Look at the standing ovation MPs gave the "the Great Liar", Tony Blair, when he resigned or the blatant dishonesty of Gordon Brown and the Lib Dems over the EU constitution. As far as the Tories being any different, they're using the constitution to attack the Government, but if the Tories form the next Government will they offer a referendum? Not a chance. Fraser Nelson knows all this so why didn't he say it? Because he and the Spectator are part of the Liberal Establishment too.

Dan_Boston

I agree with the article’s points on a general voting apathy and I’m sure it’s reflected by the general malaise sweeping the country at the moment. I think the root of all of this is a sense of hopelessness that, whoever you vote for, nothing will change. Small things (i.e. bi-weekly rubbish collections, the parking ticket Gestapo, huge rises in council tax, none of which I remember voting for) are bit by bit making this country and unpleasant place to live, but who do you vote for to change any of it?

Doug Smith

To use a recent analogy from the American elections, what the modern electorate wants is Google, but what Gordon seems to be giving us is a Sinclair ZX Spectrum linked to a dial phone modem. Does anybody outside the underclass and the army of salaried civil servants, which make up Labour’s client electorate, really believe in big government & overwhelming bureaucracy any more? Hopefully change is in the air.

Martin Morrow

I read this article with growing astonishment. There are two reasons for this: That a man such as Brown could actually believe in the ability of computers to do the work of liaising with the public. That others, supposedly "in the know" could naively believe in a significant difference between a 1.0 and a 2.0. Once again we go back to the old computer saying; "Garbage in...Garbage out!" Computers may become more sophisticated but they are as good as their inputted data...which depends upon normal human beings.

Chingford Man

When people talk about public disillusionment with party politics they often ignore the elephant in the room: namely that all 3 main parties look and sound alike as they churn up the so-called centre ground. Your colleague Mr Oborne memorably went round Winchester at the last election and asked people to identify what party was making which pledges. They generally couldn't.

The political class, and their media supplicants, including alas the Speccie, have no idea about what troubles people in the real world. Remember how much ink was spilled covering the Blair-Brown soap opera?

oohkuchi

I have lost faith in pols (and civil servants) because they lie. They lied about Iraq. They lied about the number of immigrants would could expect (the Home Office fobbed us off with an 'estimate' of arrivals that was a fraction of the actual number). When Northern Rock broke, the government said, effectively, "no crisis, folks, the bank's basically sound, just a short-term thing". Now we are looking at a £50-£100 billion bailout. The loss of trust is their fault.

L Greenham

In the past, the unpopularity or even disgrace of a Labour or Conservative government simply meant that the opposition would take its turn until time erased public indignation, and the cycle could recur. Now, when the major issues of the day potentially threaten the very fabric of society, they have become virtually indistinguishable in terms of policy as well as reputation for cynicism, incompetence and corruption. It no longer matters which party is the specific source of each distasteful revelation : both will automatically share the fall-out. It is indeed "notoriously difficult to set up a new party in the British system", but the BNP seems to have made remarkable progress. If the unthinkable should happen in May's London elections, a real alternative to tweedledee and tweedledum may emerge.

mike ashworth

Just caught the tail end of the interview with David Cameron on BBC1 and a comment regarding "punch and judy politics". Over the years, I like many, have become jaded by Politics and politicians. the sleaze, the spin, rows about expenses, did they lie, etc. etc. the list goes on. Recently however I caught an exchange in the house of commons that riled me so much that I felt compelled to act. It was regarding the European Union and it was a decision that could effect all of our lives. Now this is very important stuff, and the politicians were there shouting at each other, throwing papers about, and generally acting in a manner which would not befit a wayward chimp at a tea party! I acted, I wrote to the leaders of all 3 mainstream political parties to express my disgust at what I observed and went on to explain that for people to become engaged with politics again you have to do more than say "trust me". They need to be authentic in their actions and build trust amongst the residents of the UK. It was an opportunity for them to engage me in a conversation and perhaps start to build that trust once more. But guess what, I haven't even received an acknowledgement that my question is receiving consideration and a reply will be forthcoming. I confidently expect that I will receive no response at all. With actions like these people will continue to ignore them, even if they have a compelling message because it's all about building trust. They need to stop acting like unruly children, start acting like adult, whose decisions effects the likes of me, and perhaps, just perhaps, they can begin conversations with the electorate that may be beneficial to them. Perhaps if they thought of themselves as a brand they would act differently in the house and generally. Can you imagine a major company, whose livelihood requires me to purchase their goods, treating me in such an appalling manner. I cant. They spend fortunes on new logos for their party, yet dont spend money on resources to talk to the electorate when someone wants to engage in a conversation about them. Appalling! Mike Ashworth Business Coaching and Consultancy Brighton and Hove, sussex, UK

mike ashworth

Just over a month ago I caught the tail end of the interview with David Cameron on BBC1 and a comment regarding "punch and judy politics".

Over the years, I like many, have become jaded by Politics and politicians. the sleaze, the spin, rows about expenses, did they lie, etc. etc. the list goes on.

In early March I caught an exchange in the house of commons that riled me so much that I felt compelled to act.

It was regarding the European Union and it was a decision that could effect all of our lives. Now this is very important stuff, and the politicians were there shouting at each other, throwing papers about, and generally acting in a manner which would not befit a wayward chimp at a tea party!

I acted, I wrote to the leaders of all 3 mainstream political parties to express my disgust at what I observed and went on to explain that for people to become engaged with politics again you have to do more than say "trust me". They need to be authentic in their actions and build trust amongst the residents of the UK.

It was an opportunity for them to engage me in a conversation and perhaps start to build that trust once more. But guess what, I haven't even received an acknowledgement that my question is receiving consideration and a reply will be forthcoming.

I confidently expect that I will receive no response at all.

With actions like these people will continue to ignore them, even if they have a compelling message because it's all about building trust. They need to stop acting like unruly children, start acting like adult, whose decisions effects the likes of me, and perhaps, just perhaps, they can begin conversations with the electorate that may be beneficial to them.

Perhaps if they thought of themselves as a brand they would act differently in the house and generally. Can you imagine a major company, whose livelihood requires me to purchase their goods, treating me in such an appalling manner. I cant.

They spend fortunes on new logos for their party, yet dont spend money on resources to talk to the electorate when someone wants to engage in a conversation about them. Appalling!

One month on not a word fro many of the parties in response to the above.

Mike Ashworth