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Dawn of a new way of doing politics? Citizens Focus Group - power to the people

My Views

Derby Evening Telegraph Article

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Soapbox

Having been in 10 Downing Street for less than a year Gordon Brown is facing one of his biggest challenges during his time in office. The MP’s expenses row has once again shifted the publics’ view of Brown’s new Government to one of scandal as lurid headlines in some of the tabloid papers dictate how we should perceive those we elect to represent us.

This negative reporting of personalities only serves to decrease the interest of the public in the electoral process and ensures that a significant proportion of the public view politicians with nothing but suspicion and contempt. Of course, politicians must always be publicly accountable and the mass media is by far the best means of informing and stimulating debate and public opinion. However, sections of the national press must stride further to become a responsible news outlet by ensuring they offer balanced reporting of the political system in Britain and abroad. Whilst it is perfectly right to inform the public of wrongdoings and mistakes made by politicians, it is equally right and proper that positive messages are given the prominence they so often deserve.

Perhaps it would be fruitful to use an alternative phrase to ‘politicians’ because clearly the word ‘politicians’ has been soiled, with any reference to it immediately conjuring, in many peoples’ minds at least, an unfair image of politicians who are “crooked”, “in it for themselves”, despite us having Parish and Town Councillors across Derbyshire who do not receive a penny for the representation they provide, and people who are generally “untrustworthy” and guilty of “spin and sleaze.” These huge generalisations damage our democracy.

Politicians are those who represent the people who elect them. First and foremost they are there to ensure that issues and concerns that people have are dealt with wherever possible and that they campaign on issues to help improve the communities and those who live within them. Politics is about trying to achieve positive change on a local, national or international scale, with only a minority of people abusing their positions. I would like to suggest the use of the word ‘elected representatives.’

When people see the direct relevance of politics on their doorstep, in their communities and in society in general they will recognise that there are many good stories happening on a daily basis, which usually never receive the smallest of paragraphs in the press, but which help improve peoples’ lives, some of which are worthy of headlines in the national press. Elected representatives are occasionally accused of burying bad news. I would like to suggest that certain national newspapers are guilty of burying good news in their pursuit of providing sensational news stories.

Here in Derbyshire we have many a good news story worthy of the front page. The Markham Vale project in Chesterfield, for example, will create up to 6000 new jobs in one of Derbyshire’s most deprived areas.

Across the county we will see increased investment in roads and tackling congestion. We will see new schools and community facilities. The new Children’s Plan announced in December last year makes provisions for new or improved play areas for children and places for young people to go, giving enough money to every local authority in the country to provide or improve an average 23 play areas.

The free off-peak travel scheme, first introduced in Derbyshire, is being extended across the country allowing Derbyshire’s pensioners and Blue Badge holders free travel.

And across the country this year, great steps will be made towards providing a personalised NHS that gives more attention to the prevention of illness and disease, with early screening to pick up cancers at an earlier stage. And there will be an extra £520 million over the next three years to transform Social Care with the introduction of Personal Care budgets.

In employment we will see a Bill in parliament to improve the rights of temporary and agency workers (some of our most vulnerable members of Britain’s work force), increased annual leave in twelve months time and a further increase in the National Minimum Wage this coming October.

And across the world we will witness further funding for many of the world’s poorest countries, with additional research into fighting killer diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB. And the Bali summit agreements will begin to be implemented to tackle climate change.

These are the issues we should immediately think about when we hear the word politics; education, crime, health, employment, helping the poor and vulnerable, championing the cause of those who need assistance, improving the environment and making this country and the world a better, fairer and safer place to live. We need to convey the progressive policies upon which Derbyshire and indeed every other part of this country relies. We must forget about personalities, except when our elected representatives need to be brought to account, and concentrate on the policies that are going to change Derbyshire, Britain and the world forever.