Apathy in the Uk Political Groups

Political Apathy in the UK

In the general elections of 2010, only 65.1%* of the British people turned out to vote.

Even though this election would decide which political party would lead the nation, not even 3/4 of the population made it to the polling stations. It is my opinion, that only 1 reason could account for this figure; lack of interest from the normal, tax paying common citizen.

Personally, i could name our Prime Minister, possibly even the Deputy Prime Minister, but after that i doubt i could name another member of parliament.

The question which must be asked is ‘Why do i not know who is in control of my own nation?’

After asking this question across 2 different school playgrounds, the most common answer was, ‘It does’nt matter, nothing changes!’.

The full explanation it seems, was that regardless of who is in power, regardless of which political party is in control, our lives do not improve. Not one person was able to name a single occasion where a Member of Parliament, had directly changed or improved their own lives. Of course it would be unreasonable to expect any MP to have a direct influence on any single British citizen, but the people interviewed also mentioned a lack of training schemes, social improvements, opening ceremonies for new swimming baths etc. The only way our government seems to have any contact with the average Briton, is by changing a law, or increasing a tax, and then informing the country via the BBC.

April 2009 a back bench MP earned £64,766 per annum

The median gross annual earnings for UK adults in work at April 2008 were £25,100.

www.taxpayersalliance.com

These figures display a massive difference in earnings, between the average UK wage, and that collected by an MP. This difference is another factor in the lack of association between the government, and the public. Add into this equation all of the extra financial perks MP’s receive, and further resentment is inevitable.

The main points indicated for the distance between the government, and the public.

Resentment for the high wages received, yet the lack of visible improvements.

Resentment for the media coverage with respect to the scandals of 2010.

Through all of the research conducted, these two points were constantly repeated.

The common man does not feel connected or represented by a government, who seem to be able to change his life, without any form of consultation or referendum. A government who seem to be able to claim for second homes, and travelling expenses, yet can stop a particular hospital from using a slightly more expensive medication.

The political apathy felt across the UK is a direct result of a disassociated population.

The public do not know their elected leaders, nor do they understand why they can change the laws, and subsequently public lives without a referendum. Our government is one of the oldest in the world, and has proven to be successful. With modern communication techniques readily available, is it too much to ask for more information on our respective leaders? Could we not be informed of any political successes, or have the current changes in our legal or benefits systems explained to us all?

If our politicians could bridge this gap, if they could just illustrate their own successes to the public, or explain the various future goals to the average man, the distance between them and us, would be gradually reduced. Only when true transparency is prevalent will the government have the backing of the whole population, and not only 65.1%.

For details of the 2011 political parties please follow the link.

http://dadibobs.hubpages.com/hub/2011-party-list-UK

How to fight Political apathy.

http://dadibobs.hubpages.com/hub/How-do-we-fight-Political-Apathy