Democratic Deficit
| DOI | 10.1177/2041905820911752 |
| Author | Peter Geoghegan |
| Date | 01 March 2020 |
| Published date | 01 March 2020 |
MARCH 2020 • POLITICAL INSIGHT 3
Democratic
Deficit
In January, Cambridge University’s Centre
for the Future of Democracy published
the results of a global survey of the state
of democracy. It made for gloomy reading.
Some 58 per cent of people are unhappy with
democratic systems of government.
Discontent with democracy was particularly
pronounced in two places: The United
Kingdom and the United States.
In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has
promised to renew democracy, primarily by
‘getting Brexit done’. At the end of January,
Britain nally left the European Union, more
than three and a half years after the vote to
leave.
But while the Prime Minister promises to
‘heal divisions’ and ‘bring the country together’,
Britain is a disunited kingdom.
In this issue’s cover feature, Maria
Sobolewska and Robert Ford delve deep into
Brexitland to argue that the identity conicts
mobilised by the EU referendum are here
to stay. Increasingly, Britons are divided by
education, age, geography and, of course,
politics.
Of course, Britain has seldom looked
as politically unied in recent years. In
December’s general election, Johnson won a
‘stonking’ 80 seat majority, picking up Labour
seats across England and Wales.
In his analysis of the election results, John
Curtice nds that the Conservative victory was
built on galvanising pro-Brexit voters behind
the party while anti-Brexit forces were more
divided than ever.
December’s election highlighted once
again the tensions within the United Kingdom
itself. Looking at Scotland, where the Scottish
National Party made major gains, Rob Johns,
Ailsa Henderson, Christopher Carman and Jac
Larner argue that independence – not Brexit –
remains the key political divide.
From Northern Ireland, Jon Tonge reports
on an election that saw losses for the major
parties – particularly the Democratic Unionists
– and the growing strength of politics beyond
the Orange and Green divide. In Wales,
Roger Awan Scully nds that Labour’s long-
held political dominance is coming under
increasing strain.
So, what does this mean for the union?
Is Britain about to break up? Certainly, the
clamour for a ‘border poll’ on Irish unity is likely
to grow, as are demands for a second Scottish
independence referendum. But the future of
the United Kingdom is likely to depend on its
largest constituent part: England.
After an election that saw the Conservatives
win a huge majority of English seats, Michael
Kenny looks at the rise of Englishness in
British politics and asks what it could mean for
constitutional politics across these islands.
The general election was a disaster for
Labour. In its aftermath, Jeremy Corbyn and
others blamed the defeat on Brexit. But
looking at data over the last decade, Paula
Surridge nds that Labour has been squeezed
by a fundamental realignment in British
politics that goes well beyond Britain’s decision
to leave the EU.
One thing does look certain in British
politics: Johnson’s new administration has a
level of control in Parliament that his minority
government conspicuously lacked. What eect
did the constitutional chaos of the previous
two-and-a-half years have on parliamentary
procedure? Brigid Fowler investigates.
And what of Brexit itself? Despite massive
pro-EU marches and parliamentary pressure,
the post-2016 Remain campaign failed
completely. But, writes Andrew Glencross, for
those who want to see Britain in the EU, all
hope might not be lost.
Elsewhere, Birgit Schippers examines how
the internet has transformed politics, from
digital campaigning to social media. The
rise of articial intelligence poses even more
profound challenges for democratic processes.
Can democracy survive in the age of AI?
Elizabeth Bomberg reports from the US
where Donald Trump’s administration has
rolled back environmental legislation and
pulled out of key international climate accords.
But increasingly American voters want action
on the environment.
In the regular In Focus slot, Benjamin D.
Hennig looks beyond the British general
election headlines to map winning margins
and turnout where it matters most – in
individual seats. In the Last Word, Will Jennings
explains how towns became a key political
battleground and asks if the Conservatives can
full their promise to ‘level up’ Britain.
The democratic tumult around the world
is unlikely to stop anytime soon. Already,
Boris Johnson’s new administration has
shown a willingness to push the boundaries
of precedence and accepted practice. With
a presidential election due in the US in
November, the political temperatures are likely
to rise even further.
If you would like to join the debates or
contribute to Political Insight get in touch or
visit www.psa.ac.uk/insight-plus.
Peter Geoghegan
Editor
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