The pressure group Unlock Democracy is generally pretty good at understanding that having a healthy democracy is more than simply about the narrow confines of casting and counting votes. Healthy democracy involves meaningful debate and choice between a range of views.
That makes the latest mailing I have received from them all the most disappointing. Good news – supporters are being asked to submit nominations for its governing council. Bad news – the highly restrictive campaigning rules that make even the old Liberal Democrat internal election rules seem rather generous:
Candidates may not produce any further promotional materials [in addition to the ballot mailing manifesto] … No candidate may pro-actively campaign for election online, or allow anyone else to campaign on their behalf … The Returning Officer may disqualify any candidate who they deem to have made a public statement to promote their candidacy.
As for that ballot mailing manifesto, it can only by 300 words. Not even an artworked piece of A5. Other than that: sssssh!
Imagine if the government were to propose such a stringent set of campaign restrictions for public elections. Would Unlock Democracy say, “You know what, that’s a darn good idea”? I hope not – but just as campaigning is healthy in public elections because it allows voters to make better informed choices, so it is too in internal contests.
It does at least make my voting in the Council elections easy when the ballots come round. If you’re in favour of these rules, you won’t be getting my vote.
For another reaction to these election rules see Mark Valladares: Throwing away the key … how not to run an internal election.
* Mark Pack is Party President and is the editor of Liberal Democrat Newswire.
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7 Comments
Unlock Democracy is not unlocking democracy by spreading secrecy.
How does it encourage active participation to limit information or the ability to find out more? This sounds like an authoritarian coup has occurred at the heart of the organisation.
Agreed, my eyebrows raised to the sky when I saw it. The discretionary power in one person’s hands to decide on allowing or disallowing candidates is not democracy at all, it’s like those show elections in countries with a dominant party and censored media, where other parties get disqualified if their challenge would be serious.
“If you’re in favour of these rules, you won’t be getting my vote.” But how will you find out???
I’d love to comment on this. But as I’m planning to stand, in the same way I did for the Electoral Reform Society, I’m not allowed to………..
Unlock Democracy’s internal election regulations are decided by our members. The rules are designed to provide a level playing field and to prevent wealthier candidates from having too great an advantage. The current rules were set before Facebook and Twitter were in widespread use.
Any member concerned about these rules could have submitted a standing order amendment to our AGM. No-one did so. We are keen to encourage as many members as possible to stand for election. For more details see our website: http://www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/elections
I don’t want to get into a debate with James but the Standing orders say “The election address must consist of a written statement…. No further promotional materials may be produced and the Returning Officer shall not provide access to memberships lists or other resources for election campaigning purposes.”
The election guidance contains four completely new paragraphs covering “Internet Communications” ending with a draconian threat that the Returning Officer may disqualify any candidate who they deem to have made a public statement to promote their candidacy.
I’m sure if the AGM had known that the rule was going to be interpreted in this way then we would have had an interesting debate about it.
Unlock Democracy have been strangely silent in recent months during constitutional outrages like stuffing the Lords full of peers to create a Government majority or the airbrushing unregistered voters out of our electoral geography
What we need is to create a truly independent force to campaign for democratic reform in this country, one that could command a genuine popular following