The Green Party has warned a government inquiry into the UK’s democratic process must commit to full transparency and public involvement.
The Greens have made a submission to the inquiry into the government’s Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission [1], calling for it to also look into how power is acquired, maintained, and exercised.
Green Party peer Natalie Bennett said:
“It’s clear that many people lost faith in our democratic process long ago. They see politics as something that is done to them, rather than by or even for them.
“However, as we continue to tackle the pandemic and the climate crisis it is more important than ever that people trust and participate in the decisions that affect their lives locally, nationally and globally, rather than viewing politics as a distant and potentially malignant force.
“So we agree this commission is needed to restore trust and build modern, functional, democratic systems. However, it appears that the government’s intention is that this inquiry be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, whose real objective is to continue the Tory attacks on democracy and human rights.
“Democracy belongs to everybody and should not be under the influence of just one party. That is why we are calling for a People’s Constitutional Convention, in the form of a citizens’ assembly, to be established alongside the Commission.
“We, the people, should decide how power is shared. And so the first priority for this inquiry is to commit to transparency. Deciding on the future of our democracy is a concern for all of us, not something condemned to an inquiry carried out by a committee almost nobody has heard of.”
ENDS
Notes
1
https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/Communications/PCAC_consultation_Nov2020.pdf