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Originally Posted by Rosencrantz
I'd like to ask how David Cameron plans to address the lack of enthusiasm the modern electorate displays in politics. I was looking at the statistics for local elections in Manchester recently and the voter turnout was less than 30%. I get the feeling modern politicians patronise those who care about issues and pander to people who wouldn't vote in the first place. It really frustrates me, and I don't see Cameron's tactics as being particularly encouraging (not that Labour's have recently either).
I've always believed that those who vote for the candidate they'd like to have a beer with should drink a beer and leave the voting to the adults. I don't think modern Conservative policy addresses this problem, and instead indulges it. How do you feel about this?
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I think we have a huge problem with political disengagement. I only need to murmur that I study Politics and peoples faces drop.
I think we should start by devolving more powers to local government, allowing them to have greater control and flexibility. Along with this we need genuine transparency, so we know who is responsible for what, and where the money is going. Transparency is a huge problem, so many people distrust politicians, and so many people have no idea who is in charge of their road upkeep, or who is responsible for something as basic as emptying the bins in the park.
I think people can see through politicians who are all style and no substance. You might have noticed the criticisms in Cameron's first year as leader. He was trying to change the party itself, and had no real policy, making him an open target to the delight of Blair and the papers.
You're right. I don't think either the Conservatives are doing anywhere near enough to promote participation in non-general elections. Another idea I have is to have an even number of councillors per local ward, and have elections constituency wide, rather than having the rag-bag situation of current where some peoples wards are up for election while others are not. People won't feel engaged if they don't always have the chance to vote.