Beyond Despair

Unravelling the Threads of Political Discontent in the UK

Do you know how to radicalise a person? It’s quite simple, really. Start off with poverty, and make sure it’s poverty entirely outside their control, have them born into a world already engulfed in poverty but off in the distance show them what life could be like outside their poverty. Then, show them their political leaders’ indifference to their cause. Have them realise slowly that the system of democracy you have told them would be the instrument of their salvation is actually the very reason their plight persists. Watch as the conclusions are formed in their mind, that they are routinely disenfranchised by their voting system, mocked by politicians parachuted into their ‘safe’ seats with false platitudes, assuming they hear anything at all. Is it any wonder, then, that so many give up on the system?

With huge swathes of the population in the UK at or below the poverty line, years of neglect from governments interested only in the bottom lines of their donors, and a system of voting that routinely disenfranchises millions of voters, the UK has become a melting pot of anger and frustration. Whilst England looks to be left with the same old binary choice it has always been given, the fertile political ground in the Celtic nations could breed a new age of politics that could well be the saviour of these unwilling partners of the union. If someone were able to channel the anger that fuels the current crises of political apathy across the UK, they would find themselves at the head of a movement that I believe could make institutional change the likes of which has never been seen before.

Obviously, what I described above isn’t the only reason that people find themselves in such a precarious position. Running alongside the current political crises is one wholly centred on our economy, and perhaps more specifically, capitalism. Now, I’m not here to tell you how harmful capitalism is for a productive and just society (though it is), but it’s impossible to ignore the fact that rampant corporate greed and the pursuit of profit at the cost of lives has almost become a cornerstone of capitalism. When we see that food bank usage across Wales has risen astronomically alongside the almost industrial scale of food waste by huge corporations across the UK, it becomes pretty clear that the food scarcity issue is merely manufactured in order to drive profits. There is enough food, often times more than enough, but instead of being given to those in need, the homeless, and others, it is purposefully destroyed and often written off as tax-free to boot. (See my article here for more on the scale of food waste)

Another thing worth noting is that all of this is taking place against the backdrop of what is likely to be the most catastrophic climate crises that we will ever experience as a species. In the UK it’s not uncommon to hear things like “We’re all in this together” or “Together we can solve the climate crises” despite the fact that the vast majority of emissions are caused by the political and business elite. And this isn’t exactly niche data either, everyone with the ability to use the internet could quite quickly find out the reality surrounding who pollutes and what needs to be done to stop it. The companies attempting to push the responsibility on to the consumer is now proven to be little more than greed and profiteering and people are beginning to wake up to that fact, adding more to the issue of general apathy in the UK and across the globe. (See my article here for more on the scale of the Climate Crises) 

On the other side of things, we have the problem of parachuted politicians and so called ‘Safe’ seats. This, simply, is a symptom of a broken political system, a system called First Past the Post (FPTP). The very concept of there being ‘safe’ seats shows a level of contempt for voters that is too often seen within the UK. Pairing this with political parties bringing in politicians from elsewhere in the UK to guarantee them a seat in parliament (parachuting) and you complete the cycle of disdain. When given the choice, voters have shown time and time again that they will always prefer that their chosen representative be one from their constituency, but the main parties care little about the opinions of the voters on this. Political apathy has allowed the main parties in the UK to use and abuse their ability to parachute members into ‘safe’ seats all across the UK, and they will continue to do so unless we as voters make it clear that we won’t accept that. On top of this, removal of the archaic FPTP system in favour of one more modern would also go a long way towards restoring faith in the system at a local level.

Let’s take stock here then, we have huge swathes of the population living in or very near poverty, bombarded daily by corporate and political greed, being ruled over by politicians that regularly show their disdain for the electorate by taking their votes for granted whilst at the same time being wholly out of touch with what the average voter’s life is actually like. All of this against the backdrop of the climate crisis, a crisis successive governments seem more than happy to completely ignore, if not outright support in certain cases. This all paints quite the succinct picture for me as to why people either feel like they have no real say in the politics of their country, or feel that regardless of if they had a say, they wouldn’t be able to due to being beat down by continuous problems day in and day out. After all, it’s exhausting trying to fight for a change in the electoral system whilst simultaneously struggling to feed your family or heat your home, for some it’s impossible.

Of particular note on the global stage is that this phenomenon of political apathy isn’t just happening in the UK. Another example of this is the growing movement across China called ‘bai lan’ or ‘let it rot’. This is a movement borne from young people in China realising that their ideals are not being realised, and perhaps never will be. Frustration at an uncertain economy and lack of career opportunities, many are choosing to abandon the rat race entirely and lead a much different life. These fears and frustrations mirror the difficulties of political apathy in the western world incredibly closely and perhaps show proof that while the west and Asia have many differences, the youth in both areas are being heavily affected by very much the same problems. This growing rejection of society by huge portions of the population could spell disaster if it is allowed to continue uninhibited. 

The fact of the matter remains though, for too long the UK has been led by men and women that sit in parliament jeering at one another as they laughably refer to each other as ‘Honourable Members’ despite the fact that the vast majority of them clearly know little about honour, as if they did, they would have all resigned in shame years ago. Let’s also not ignore the issue of the second unelected house, the lords. The thin veneer of legitimacy that the house of parliament enjoys, that being that the members are dutifully elected, does not cover the House of Lords. A chamber filled with 785 members, a number of which have considerable conflicts of interest, and yet the chamber is somehow held up as a place in which the government can be held to account. There is even a ‘lord’ in the upper chamber with clear ties to Russian intelligence agencies. (See my article here on the Lebedevs)

In the grand tapestry of this societal discontent, I believe a call for change is echoed through the frustration and disillusionment we are witnessing. To navigate the turbulent waters of poverty, corporate avarice, and an impending environmental precipice, a collective recalibration of our political and economic compass is imperative, be it through a change to a more representative voting system or new-found sovereignty for the unwilling participants of the Union. The disdain felt by a populace, tired of being led by the out-of-touch elite, beckons for a radical reimagining of our systems. As the world grapples with parallel struggles, the time is ripe for a resurgence of hope, a commitment to bridging the gap between the governed and the governing, and the emergence of a future where the term "Honourable Members" reflects genuine dedication to the welfare of the people rather than the bottom line.