Have political parties forgotten the local elections?

Yesterday we had a look at how the political parties are preparing for the Local Elections 2011. With all of this talk of Big Society we imagined an intense focus on this opportunity to represent local concerns and stand up for our communities. After all that is the purpose of politics. You can imagine how surprised we were, therefore, that not one of the high profile parties' had any mention of the fast approaching local elections on their homepage.

Approximately 45 million people will have the opportunity to go to the polls on Thursday 5th May.

If political parties aren't even interested in local politics maybe people need to look at their alternatives. Independent candidates are the only alternative to party politics. Find your local candidate today.

Check out the party political websites:



Labour:


Lib Dem:


UKIP:


Green:


and even the BNP:

What's all this about an alternative?

What's all this about an alternative?

In May 2011 – as independent candidates become 'tellers' at polling stations – the UK will be invited to take part in the second ever UK-wide referendum. We shall vote on whether or not we want to change the 'First Past the Post' system to an alternative electoral system, the Alternative Vote. The various parties are sitting on their various sides of the fence, with party politicians being allowed that rare freedom to choose whether they campaign for yes or no.

Here at the Independent Network we're much more interested in the questions the referendum raises about political alternatives within our current democracy. In fact we will be holding a debate about the referendum during our event on Thursday 7th April.

If a change to the voting system will ensure that voters' and constituents' needs are placed above the dictates of a political party then such a change might be of interest to independent candidates across the UK. However we're not cpersuaded that it is this question of good representation that is prompting our second-ever UK-wide referendum.

Independent candidates have been in touch highlighting a range of questions that the referendum raises. We've compiled some of those questions below. Give us your feedback - what do you think when you see the NO2AV or YESTOFAIRERVOTES campaigns?

Legitimacy and representation: Will the AV system make governments more legitimate in the eyes of the voters and capable of taking big decisions on our behalf?

Coalition government: Will AV result in more coalition government than First Past the Post (FPTP) and is this a good thing? Will it result in more or fewer broken manifesto promises?

Proportionality: Is AV a more proportional system of voting and is proportional government necessarily a good thing in itself?

The cost of voting: The ‘no’ camp are placing a lot of emphasis on the cost of the referendum and the cost of counting AV results in future – especially at a time of public spending cuts. Is this an important consideration?

Framing and referendums: Is a referendum the right way to decide this issue, and are we being offered two options that we don’t really like when a better one could be on the table?

Political context: Different parties have different views on how this will effect the outcome of elections. Supporters of AV may be swayed by the possibility that this system will result in more of their political preference getting elected. Presumably, opponents will do the same. Is this a debate about the ethics of voting or is it really crude political gamesmanship? Should we simply vote for the option that will return the most MPs for our preferred political party? Are we being offered an alternative at all?

These are important questions worth slow consideration - after all it is not every year (not even every 30 years) that we are given the opportunity to use our vote in a referendum. If the voting system just gives more party representation, is that an alternative or is the only alternative vote for an independent candidate?

Join us on Thursday 7th April for an Independent Network debate on the alternative vote. Email secretariat@independentnetwork.org.uk for information and tickets.

Sanitea - a most civilized affair

It was 12.40pm and the first of our guests had just arrived. We were downstairs in a luxurious function room - leather chairs, massive polished mirrors and a sense that this room had not changed since the days when its guests had been rich tea-merchants and their custom. We were at the Horniman at Hays - a pub on the sight of one of the most important tea merchant warehouses.

We offered a cup of tea to the early-arrivals and asked where they had travelled from. All three had woken at 5am that morning to reach Hays Galleria, London Bridge, by 1pm. They had come from Carmarthenshire in West Wales!

Their excitement was contagious and soon many more independent councillors, candidates, supporters and Americans who wanted to support Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity but were on the wrong side of the Atlantic were sat together talking politics and sipping tea.

Brian Ahearne, Chair of the Independent Network, made the case for independently minded politics in the UK and explained the work of the Independent Network thus far, before Tamsin Omond, its new network coordinator,spoke about the Council of Reference and our new focus on the Local Elections 2011.

We could not get enough of the tea (generously provided by Teapigs) or the room (generously provided by Horniman at Hays) and so conversation flowed past the 3pm advertised end of the event. At 4pm eight guests still had room for more cucumber sandwiches and cups of tea, before helping us to clear up and clear out to the pub upstairs...

It was an interesting event and we hope it will be the first of many more tea-party meetings for independents committed to the Bell Principles up and down the UK.

Time for SANITEA?

If you're clued up with our Twitter and Facebook then you won't have missed news of 'Sanitea'.

Tomorrow over 60,000 people are expected to descend on Washington DC. They will be part of Jon Stewart's (of The Daily Show fame)'Rally to Restore Sanity'. The rally is a response to the grass-roots organising and rallies of the US tea-party (or independents') movement. It's about trying to open up a space, in US politics, for collaboration and dialogue, reasonable argument and sane discussion.

In the UK we, at the Independent Network, have been keeping an eye on the development of the US tea-party movement. We're a little worried that the tea-parties taking place across the Atlantic aren't keeping with the tradition of a tea-party: to have a civilized chat over a sanely sipped cuppa. We're also worried about their use of the name 'independents'. In our opinion the true measure of an independent is whether their policies grows from the firm foundations of the Bell Principles. These principles are all about a non-discriminatory, pluralistic and responsive politics. Currently the independent or tea-party movement in the States shows little commitment to such a set of principles.

So. We got thinking. We wondered whether we might hold our own Rally4Sanity in support of Jon Stewart's venture. But the more we thought about it, the more obvious it seemed that all things 'tea-party' belong to a very long British tradition. Instead of holding a rally we decided that the best way to reclaim the tea-party and the cause of an independently-minded politics was to hold a tea-party. And not just one tea-party, but three - across the regions and in London.

The setting for our London tea-party is Hays Galleria - the first and largest wharf for ships bringing tea into London (est. 1856) - in the Horniman pub. The Horniman was the name of the most prolific tea-merchant.

We will meet. We will drink tea. We will chomp on cucumber sandwiches. We will have political discussion and an opportunity to establish what independent politics is all about. Then we will look at our watches and decide, calmly, that it's time to go home.

Join us between 1pm - 3pm tomorrow because independent politics can be returned to Sanitea.

Gearing up to the Local Elections 2011

Welcome Independents and those independently minded.

We've been a little quiet since the General Elections 2011, consulting local politicians and supporters of independent politics on where they would like to see us focus over the next 18 months.

The overwhelming response has been in support of a local election focus. As some of you may know our next elections are May 2011 when the majority of local authorities will hold elections. Independents already enjoy an impressive presence in local government, as independent councillors are often best suited to working passionately in the interests of those who voted for them - the people they represent. Unlike party politicians, independent candidates will not bow to a party whip nor forget their constituents in their ambition to climb a party ladder. Instead they are usually local people who stand on local issues of real importance to their local communities. Many would say that this kind of 'politician' or 'community leader' is best suited for local politics, and can be far more effective than a party politician.

Over the next few months we will work tirelessly to support the brave community leaders who choose to stand for reelection or election to local government. As well as endorsing candidates and independent groups who have signed up to The Bell Principals; we will collate best practise resources for local election campaigning as well as organising events to raise the profile of independents nationally.

But to do all of this we need your help, your passion and your input. Get in touch if you are planning to stand as an independent; if you are part of an independent group or if you are planning to form an independent group. If you don't want to stand yourself but could offer your time or experience to local election candidates then please let us know. If you can't give your time then please consider donating to allow us to continue the work that we do.

More very soon and in the meantime we look forward to hearing from you!

Gerrymandering Parliament

The power of political parties has consistently compromised clear recommendations from Royal Commissions on political reform. Tactical ignorance of commissioned research has seemingly become a means to the main parties’ ends, resulting in the abandonment of reforms fundamental to political progress.

After Labour’s 1997 landslide victory in the general election, The Independent Commission on the Voting System, popularly known as the Jenkins Commission, was set up. Employed to investigate alternatives to the ‘first past the post’ electoral system still being used today, the Commission offered the Alternative top-up vote system as a satisfactory substitute.

Otherwise known as AV+, the voting system was suggested for four central reasons: to maintain a geographical link between MP and constituency, to fulfill the need for stable government, to satisfy the desire for broad proportionality and to give an extension of voter choice.

Based on a two vote system, AV+ was designed to make tactical voting unnecessary, create a fairness that means no wasted votes and to end the distorted representation of the electorate that ‘first past the post’ offers. The professional opinion of the Committee was that ‘the majority of MPs (80 to 85%) would continue to be elected on an individual constituency basis which would significantly reduce the disproportionality and the geographic divisiveness which are inherent in FPTP.’ The parties fully ignored the commission in favour of their own interests and no action has yet been taken on the committee’s findings.

Although the Labour government issued a statement saying that the report “makes a well-argued and powerful case for the system it recommends,” the referendum on the electoral system never came and the Alternative Vote Plus has for now, been abandoned in favour of systems that promote political party dominance. Shunned and dismissed, the chair of the Independent Commission on the Voting System, Roy Jenkins’ disillusions grew and before his death he dismissed Blair as a “second-class mind.”

Another reform central to Labour’s 1997 General Election manifesto that has been confined to the Parliamentary archives is the reform of the House of Lords. The establishment of a Royal Commission of both Houses of Parliament to allow for debate and consideration in developing plans for the reform of the House of Lords was announced in 1998. The Commission would undertake research and present recommendations. The reform bill was shelved in 2004.

The House of Lord’s Joint Committee’s January 2000 report (otherwise known as The Wakeham Commission Recommendations) proposed that a reformed House of Lords would have 550 members, of which 65, 87 or 195 would be elected. The report’s conclusion on new members was that an independent appointments commission of eight people should choose new members. Five qualities were identified as desirable for the makeup of a reformed second chamber – legitimacy, representativeness, no domination by any one party, independence and expertise.

The Committee also recommended that the House of Lords should include people who are not politicians and who are likely to be experts in a particular field. These people would attend on a part-time basis and provide independent, alternative insight to issues. Subsequently, philosophical, moral, and expert opinions would be introduced into debates, enabling more informed debate.

In November 2001, the Labour government launched a white paper stating that it ‘strongly endorsed’ the Royal Commission’s views. However, it listed its own proposals, leaving the highly researched paper somewhat dismissed.

May 2004 saw the Labour Government drop plans to reform the House of Lords. Jack Cunningham, chairman of the Joint Committee on Lords Reform said it had been “clear for some time that things were going wrong.” He added that “there was a “lot of party politicking going on.” Still an implement of party political warfare, the debate on House of Lords reform consistently ignores the considered evidence and hard work of the original Royal Commission.

The current debates about political reform precipitated by the hung parliament look set to ignore the expert advice of the Royal Commissions still. As the Lib Dems seek a promise for electoral reform in return for an alliance, the Conservatives have offered the ‘Alternative Vote’ system. This lacks the highly researched and democratic advantages of the AV+ system and clearly illustrates a dangerous corruption of the political system for their own means.

It has become clear that the strength given to the main political parties is overriding detailed research conducted by leading experts. It is essential for a democratic system that party powers are weakened so that recommendations from inquiries into such issues as House of Lords and electoral reform are considered appropriately.

Proud Independents turn cynical media

After the dust settled from the press launch, the Independent Network can be proud of putting independent candidates in the national spotlight.

There was a significant presence of national media at the launch in April with the Press Association and BBC on hand with camera crews as well as most quality national newspapers like the Times, Independent, Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Mail, and the Financial Times. BBC World Service were also present to interview to various independents as well as Martin Bell OBE and Brian Ahearne from the Independent Network.

Political websites like politics.co.uk and epolitix also attended to cover the event showing a shift towards better representation of independent candidates. This was further emphasized by the presence of thee of the major national political sketch writers including Ann Treneman, Brian Wheeler, Simon Hoggart and Simon Carr.

The Telegraph drew attention to the challenge to high profile MPs disgraced in the expenses scandal with the Daily Mail, Metro, and Reuters highlighting the increasing chance of independents causing an upset on May 6th.

The spiky sketch writers did their best to be satirical; the BBC’s Brian Wheeler, Simon Hoggart for the Guardian and Treneman for the Times all picking up on Bell’s metaphor of the Independent Network being a “contraption” and not a political machine. While the BBC used the comment as a humorous starting block before explaining the no policy system of the Independent Network and emphasizing that all candidates share an “earnest sense of public duty”, Hoggart took a personal swipe at the organizers of the Independent Network without offering any real comment into the state of British politics and what the independent candidates stood for.

Independent Network candidate Gordon Kennedy said he had to read Simon Hoggart’s piece twice in disbelief because the picture painted was nothing like the actual event that he attended. “The group of Independent Network candidates could hardly fit in the room comfortably given the number of attending media types. It is true that the Independent Network had no huge budget to supply a flunky to wait on Mr. Hoggart. I am sure if he attended a big political party event there would be more deference and PR smooze, however on this occasion he had to content himself with being just another writer.”

The venue for the launch was the Frontline Club, a favourite of war correspondents and hotbed of independent journalism. The seats filled up so quickly that many reporters found that there was standing room only.

“I was there to support the Independent Network,” continued Kennedy. “I admire their aims and was ambivalent about the journalists as I have to place my trust in the voters of Dagenham and Rainham rather than the editorial policy of national newspapers and whom they decide to support or attack.”

Treneman for the Times seemed to find the launch amusing enough as she likened it to “political speed-dating” but managed to portray the candidates’ enthusiasm for their campaign with a half a page dedicated to the launch.

Matthew West at politics.co.uk seemed to be at an entirely different event where “journalists didn’t appear to care”. However his pessimistic sketch was counteracted by Sam Dale’s informative piece on the same site which emphasized the message that independents had an opportunity like no other on 6 May.

Apart from some inaccurate reporting, which included the number of candidates ranging from 40 to 49 depending on which report you read, the launch received a good amount of coverage emphasizing the growing demand for an alternative to party politicians. Most articles, in print and online, recognised the limited resources available to independents and portrayed the launch as a refreshing alternative to the PR and spin events hosted by the political parties.

The press also gave good publicity to many of the endorsed candidates including Sarah Flannery of Tatton and John Swallows of Peterborough who received a substantial amount of mentions. Gordon Kennedy also got his interview aired on BBC World Service and Alice Sakura Dartnell’s picture by the Press Association appeared in the Metro and the Times which is bound to enhance their campaigns.

Bell proudly said at the launch, “There is not a professional politician on this platform!” Indeed, the platform showed probably one of the most diverse set of views in any political organisation. Issues and policies they may disagree or agree on but the unanimous sentiment on the stage of the Frontline Club was that independent candidates are the only alternative to party politics.

The independent candidates were given a fair voice and a space in many political papers, websites and radio stations showing the media are accepting that independents are becoming a force to be reckoned with.