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And an important of aspect is how transparent government is. That is
oversee vital. I would want to consider powerful influences or preconditions of
a successful democracy, such as levels of education, prosperity, and civic
enthusiasm to participate in the democratic process. So, as I mentioned earlier,
it would certainly be very empty talk were to go through each of those, but
that in my mind, those in my mind are very important elements.
And I’ll turn to the issue of challenges to the UK democracy, and what
one might regarded as successes. So, what are the challenges that I see to the
UK democracy?
Well, the first one related to local government, local government to subject
of study would be proper rather unfashionable Those who are low key, the
politician to lower level, but if we look at the United Kingdom, there has been a
weakening of local government in the last 30, 40 years. with, for instance,
Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s abolishing the local government for London, the
Greater London Council because she resented the popularity and influence of
the leader of the Greater London Council. That seem to me a retrograde step.
There has been a lot of state activities in local government as well. For
instance, in the late 19th century, being in local government was regarded as a
distinguished activity and maybe a prelude to success on the national level.
And indeed, for instance, by example, Lord Rosebery, who was a Prime Minister
in the 19th century. After he retired, became the first chairman of the London
County Council. An unthinkable idea today that the Prime Minister after his
career would, then, go sit at local government level. So, it’s been a loss of
prestige.
My second point is devolution as a threat, or challenge rather, to the
United Kingdom democracy. I don’t see devolution as a threat, but the way in
which it’s being configured in the UK poses all sorts of problems including the
possible disintegration of the United Kingdom as a political entity. So, it’s
obviously quite significant if you think of the success of the democracy as
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being able to keep a country together. Devolution as we have it in the United
Kingdom was put in place in the late 1990s, by the then Labour government.
And its purpose ultimately was intended to put a lit to limit separate or satisfy
separative demand to leave the United Kingdom. But in fact, the reality is that
devolution, as it’s been structured, has acted as a catalyst for even greater
demand for separation, particularly in Scotland. Britain voting to leave the
European Union has also created great anger in Scotland whose electorate
voted to stay in, and whose government would like the United Kingdom vote to
leave, and by contrast, the Scottish government would like to leave the United
Kingdom and stay in the European Union. So, Brexit, so call, Britain, voting to
leave the European Union poses a serious threat to the integrity of the United
