I was interested in this in an article by Own Jones this morning in the Guardian, promoting his new book, The Establishment*:
"I have heard much on the subject of the working classes in this house which, I confess, has filled me with feelings of some apprehension," Conservative statesman Lord Salisbury told parliament in 1866, in response to plans to extend the suffrage. Giving working-class people the vote would, he stated, tempt them to pass "laws with respect to taxation and property especially favourable to them, and therefore dangerous to all other classes".
It would be easy to see this as an historical anachronism except for the fact that two widely referenced and well funded UK right wing think tanks still very clearly share Lord Salisbury's views. They are the Institute of Economic Affairs (so beloved by Margaret Thatcher) and the Adam Smith Institute.
It's easy to assume that democracy is a given in our society. It isn't. There are powerful forces in British politics all too keen to get rid of it. There are clear dividing lines in UK politics: this is one of them.
* I should declare that unless there were very late changes I think you will find I am referred to in the book, but I haven't got a final copy yet.
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Today’s newspapers on the use of force when you protest against against tax avoidance “The commissioner issued the apology, coupled with compensation, after the six protesters sued the Met over use of CS spray during a UK Uncut protest in Oxford Street, London.”
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/27/met-chief-apologises-officers-unlawful-cs-spray-protesters
Profoundly relevant
it’s a really good article, and completely validates the idea that tax havens are used to undermine democracy, part of the establishment’s method of achieving “one rule for us, one rule for everybody else”.
My impression is that a substantial minority, if not the majority, of the conservative right in this country don’t want, like or accept democracy.
if you look at the USA they have fond a brilliant idea. Become mayor of a place, cut taxes to zero, don’t reduce spending. Naturally, the place goes bankrupt. Hence they have achieved “no government”.
I’ve heard at least one Tory councillor advocate this approach.
I should add that there are perfectly reasonable arguments against democracy. I do think, however, that the people using them should be open & transparent that that is what they’re arguing for.
Very well done for your campaigning generally, and well done for turning the tables on Tim Worstall, or Tim Worst-of-All as I like to call him!, by highlighting one of his articles here.
What I like is the way you stick to the big picture, driven by hope, morality, decency, morality and decency. The trolls like to feel clever with their facts and real-world projections, but you see things as you feel they should be, and not as they are in grubby, complicated reality.
Truly you are a vivid beacon of hope in a sea of neolibrul oppression. Keep On Keeping On!
You’ve had a lot of time wasters bombarding your blog recently.
I call it -new acronym-SPVI Special Pleading(era) for Vested Interests.
I wonder if those argue for unfairness and excessive privilege identify with the rich and powerful to feel better about themselves .i.e feed their egos.
I shall now leave you to write.
The Northern Ireland where I grew up in the 50s and 60s was perfectly democratic and deeply unfair. The unionist/protestant majority used their position to inflict their views on the nationalist/catholic minority. It led me to think that there has to be a moral dimension over and above democracy – a recognition of what the majority may not like but should allow.
When politicians argue that the UK should withdraw from the convention on human rights, or that UK citizenship should be taken away at the whim of a populist politician, I worry. For most of my working life, I was a second class citizen, because I could be deported back to Northern Ireland at any time on the grounds of security, without redress, losing my job and my home. It wasn’t very likely, but the possibility was there and it was what the majority wanted.
Although I don’t share Lord Salisbury’s politics, I have to agree with him in part.
I agree; this was not democracy’s finest hour
But then, it was also the consequence of non-democratic activity in the first place
I think we should remember that. Irish politics have not been kind to minorities for a long time, with or without a vote