The chaotic handling of Brexit and the despair of the chattering classes over the Trump presidency has undermined our faith in liberal democracy. Francis Fukuyama has now recanted his 1992 claim that the fall of the Soviet Union brought about the end of history, and free and fair elections are increasingly being seen as society’s problem rather than the solution.
The disillusionment with electoral politics has led to calls for Athenian-style, randomly selected ‘citizens’ assemblies’. The Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart proposed a citizens’ assembly on Brexit as a bridge between the referendum and parliament, and a citizens’ assembly on climate and ecological justice is a key demand of Extinction Rebellion. As a result, letters inviting 30,000 households across the UK to join a citizens’ assembly on climate change were sent out last week by an alliance of six Commons select committees, chaired by Rachel Reeves. Unfortunately the devil is in the detail and, as will become clear, these proposals are nothing less than an affront to democratic equality.
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