Invitation to Debate UK Democracy and State Constitution / Your Right to Take Part in Conduct of Government and Public Affairs

[INIREF I&R]

Invitation to Debate UK Democracy and State Constitution / Your Right to Take Part in Conduct of Government and Public Affairs


The campaign for better democracy GB&NI
http://www.iniref.org/
Contact: E-mail in...@iniref.org


Invitation to Debate UK Democracy and State Constitution (selected values and principles, continued):

The human, civil right to TAKE PART meaningfully in the public affairs
and government of your town, country and state.
For effective high-quality democracy.

A principle found in state constitutions (see examples in Notes 1, 2, 3) :

Every person has the right to take part in the government of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

We suggest that this principle should be formally regulated by Parliament and put into practice by the UK and its countries.

How can his principle be expressed in 21st century democracies? Surely voting for an MP once every few years is NOT an effective way to take part in running our country!

The right to elect deputies, often members of a parliament or council ("representatives") is well established (although often abused – Note 5). But there is widespread public judgement that their infrequent chance to vote for a candidate, with no means to influence policy until the next election, is NOT an adequate way to "take part in the government of (one's) country".

What of the other suggested method – to take part ... directly?

To "take part" must go beyond merely asking or advising – such as signing a petition, joining a "citizens' jury", writing or talking to your MP, telephoning into a political "talk show" or exchanging via facebook & co.. Taking part must be meaningful and effective – if not, people will see it as a waste of time. Taking part in democracy – with many fellow citizens – must mean having real influence and ultimate control of public affairs, policy and law-making (legislation).

What do UK citizens reading this think? How can improvements and reforms of this sort be achieved and put into practice?

Invitation to Debate UK Democracy and State Constitution – record and discussion

NOTES

1. United Nations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ See related Note 4.

2. Proposal for a UK British Constitution (book)
The Constitution of the United Kingdom
Institute for public policy research IPPR 1991 ISBN 1 87452 42 6

3. Switzerland. Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation (Status as of 1 January 2020, translated into english) https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html See "Art. 136 Political rights"

4. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, legally binding on countries which have ratified)
Adopted by United Nations General Assembly December 1966, entry into force 23 March 1976.
Article 25: Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: (a) To take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives;
United Nations source: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CCPR.aspx

5. See manipulation of voter registration in the USA or blatant abuse of vote counting in Belarus; and in UK the contempt shown by some governments for our elected parliament.