We live in a Britain where a clear majority see themselves
as working class, where trust in politicians continues to plummet and where new
generations are the least likely to have party loyalties and to vote at general
elections.
Lack of endorsement of the current political system of representative
democracy is the clear message that shines through the latest British
Social Attitudes survey that tracks people’s views, comparing data gathered
over a 30-year period.
What emerges is a snapshot of an electorate that is
independent, interested in politics but increasingly disconnected from existing
institutions and the way they are ruled. The politics chapter is worth studying
in detail. Key findings include:
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75% agreed that the political parties are only
interested in votes, up from 64% in 1987.
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Two-thirds of those in the early 20s or early
30s identify with a particular party, compared with 85% in the same age group
back in 1983.
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In 1987, almost half (46%) of the British public
said they had a “very strong” or “fairly strong” identification with a party.
That’s now down to 31%.
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Fewer people have voted in the last three
general elections than they have in the past and researchers say we could be on
a “downward trajectory”.
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There’s been a long-term decline in the numbers
saying it’s their duty to vote, falling from 76% in 1987 to 62% in 2011.
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Interest in political issues has actually risen,
with 36% saying that have a great deal/a lot of interest compared with 29% in
1986. Most of the increase is to be found amongst older people, however.
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Non-electoral participation has largely
increased over 30 years. Many more now say they have signed a petition on taken
part in a protest.
When it comes to “trust” in politicians, the figures are
quite remarkable. One in three (32%) say they almost never trust government, up
from a mere 11% in 1986. And the
proportion who “just about always” or “most of the time” trust government has
almost halved, falling from 38% to just 18%.
So that’s over eight out of ten voters who don’t care to
lend their trust to government. This scepticism is currently reflected in the
polls that reject any plans to attack Syria, whatever the situation over
chemical weapons.
Contemporary Britain, says the BSA report, is “marked by
strong and pervasive class
divisions” - where 60%
think of themselves as working class - which in turn “lead to sustained and possibly
increasing inequalities across classes”. The authors find it a “paradox” that
at the same time fewer people identify with any political party.
There is a relatively simple explanation for this, however
which the report does not delve into. Labour in particular has made strenuous
efforts to distance itself from representing the interests of the working
class. This morning, Labour leader Ed Miliband is, for example, telling the
trade unions that their traditional membership links with the party have to
change so that he can stand a better chance of winning the next election.
Behind Miliband’s shift is a more profound process that’s
been under way for about the same period as that covered by the BSA, namely
corporate-driven globalisation with its dependence on deregulated markets, low
wages and fewer and fewer workplace rights.
New Labour bought into this and became a neo-liberal,
capitalist party. This is something union leaders still find hard to stomach or
acknowledge while ordinary working people clocked on to it some time ago. No
one should be surprised that fewer and fewer people want to “identify” with Labour
in these circumstances.
The BSA survey is a valuable piece of research. It paints a
picture of a democracy in decline, with the major parties committed to the
status quo. Giving the right to vote a new significance will require a
fundamental shift in the political system, along the lines of creating a real
democracy. You could do worse than support projects like the Agreement of the People for the
21st century campaign and others fighting for democratic
emancipation.
Paul Feldman
Communications editor
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