The end of democracy.

Democracy, as the term is commonly understood, could soon be at an end, in Great Britain. As I write, deal making is underway which could thwart the will of the British public, and install another unelected British Prime Minister, and return a much maligned Labour government to power, again.

Nick Clegg, whom once I knew, but now no more, is presently deciding with whom to strike a deal. For four days, he negotiated with the Conservative party but, seemingly not satisfied with their offer on electoral reform, he is now discussing what the Labour party can offer him and his party. It seems that the Labour party is offering more than the Conservatives: they look set to give Nick Clegg the electoral reform (to Proportional Representation) that he seeks. It may be that a Liberal-Labour coalition is about to form. Now, why should this concern us?

Well, it is simple. The British electorate tried very hard to vote Labour out. Labour lost around 100 seats at this election - about as many as the Tories gained. The message seems clear: the electorate wanted Labour to go. After all, the Tories ended up with the greatest proportion of votes. Now, however, it is in Nick Clegg's power to restore Labour to government, in exchange for electoral reform and power sharing for his own party. In fact, the deal as I understand it, would mean that the Labour party enacted the Liberal's manifesto.

I would like you to think about that. The policies of a party which came a poor third in the elections, could soon be enacted - when the vast majority of people didn't want them. Not only that, but the party that the people really didn't want to see continue in power (well, most of them, anyway), could soon be returned to power. Thus, the voting intentions of the electorate could soon turn out to be meaningless. Britain could end up with a goverment that almost all didn't want - and policies that almost no-one would agree with. All of this is in the hands of Nick Clegg and his rather small Liberal Democrat party. This is all rather undemocratic. The people of Britain could soon have foisted on them, a government they didn't choose and policies they don't want. What's more, is that all of this is largely in the hands of one man: Nick Clegg, who didn't do anywhere near as well at the polls as everyone expected.

Should it be that a Lib-Lab pact is struck and a Labour coalition government comes to power in the UK, then it means the end of democracy in the UK. An unelected Prime Minister and an unelected government, will be in power. What is more, once electoral reform is enacted, this very circumstance would become a permanent feature of the political landscape of the UK. All it would take is for the Liberals and Labour to form an alliance at any future election, and they could keep themselves in power, forever. There would not even be any point in holding an election - since the losing parties could, in most circumstances, band together to keep out the winner (unless they had over 50% of the vote...which isn't likely).

The next few days could mean the end of any real democracy in the UK. The irony of it is, that this end will come about through seeking a "better form" of democracy, in PR. It isn't better. It just means that, after each election, the government will be decided not by the people, but by the politicians striking deals among themselves. In such circumstances, there may as well not be an election at all. I am coming to think that, under certain circumstances, "democracy" can be nothing more than an elaborate fraud upon the public.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

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