Silence is consent
Or is it? I re-read Chris Dillow’s excellent reply to an old post of mine on the subject of whether or how to vote and I think I’ve come round to his way of thinking.
The problem is that politicians live in a world of their own. This is why, despite losing 3.9 million votes between 1997 and 2005 - equivalent to the entire electorate of Scotland - New Labour governs with even more arrogance than ever before.
If they’re going to live in a world of their own, we should too. We should ignore the election, and - as far as possible - ignore all candidates and politicians and retreat entirely from party politics. A boycott is a long-established way of demonstrating contemptuous opposition.
It’s too nice a day to spoil by spoiling a ballot paper. I think I’ll give it a miss.
(I did think about updating my list of reasons for not voting Labour but I decided to save it for a better occasion.)
Posted on May 3rd, 2007 at 7:55 am
| See also • Unedifying • Attendance optional • John O’Farrell and the Inappropriate Analogy |
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I think the problem is not so much arrogance, it is the way that all the mainstream parties are now concentrating on attracting so few voters. All policies are filtered through the way they will be seen by “mondeo man”, “worcester woman” or whatever this year’s equivalent is. The result is an appalling, middle-of-the-right [stet] homogeneity both here and in America. Where are the genuinely radical alternatives? Where is the discussion of ideas? Where is anything beyond a “crack down on this”, “chuck that lot out”, “offer more ‘choice’” agenda? Luckily there are no elections in London this year, so I don’t have to protest by voting Green.
It’s not clear that falling turnouts make the winners of any election any less legitimate in their own eyes.
In local elections, in Brighton/Hove at least, voting Green isn’t necessarily a protest vote. They’ve actually pushed some pretty good policies (which the other parties are now belatedly claiming as their own), and are further to the left than the local Labour party.
I know I’ve posted this view before, more than once, but it seems an ideal opportunity (with fully 75 minutes before the polls close).
Please vote. If you like any of the candidates enough to vote for them, that is excellent. Really!
If not, vote “None of These”, or “NOT”.
This spoils your ballot paper, and that is separately recorded. Through this, one day and if enough people do it, we might get a voting box for an official abstention.
Then, if abstentions win, we can seek a rerun of the election in each affected constituency, with new candidates. [I know that's not what election law currently says, but try it and see the political embarrassment.] Either that or some other remedy for the failing (even flailing) democratic engagement with and of the people.
So, staying at home is silence: apathy, whatever. Voting (including voting NOT) is serious political engagement.
Best regards
But of course, if there’s an upswing in spoiled ballots, it’s because the ballots were too complicated for us poor, lickle, thickie voters.
As it turns out, it was a lovely evening, the kids fancied a walk, so I went and spoiled my paper. I didn’t enjoy it.