A Word From Westminster
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY “The representative system is one of the hallmarks of British democracy.” Nus Ghani, MP.
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emocratic representation is a two-way process. Those who are elected, or seeking election, must listen to what the voters have to say. Those who are represented must in turn listen to what the politicians have to say in order to decide whether to put their trust in them. It is something like running a small business. Businesses will struggle to run a profit unless they listen to the demands of their customers; MPs will struggle to be effective unless they listen to their constituents. That is why I carry out visits, hold advice surgeries, promote the local area and campaign for
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initiatives which will bring greater prosperity. Surveys are also an important part of the system. At some point during the next few years an envelope may come through your letterbox door from me, asking for your opinions about a particular topic – it may be broadband, mobile phone reception or transport, for example. Some of you may already have received one. It is easy to be sceptical about surveys – they are another thing to add to the todo list, and there does not seem to be any immediate benefit for the person receiving
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it. But I would urge you, if one does drop on to your doormat, to consider filling it out. It helps me enormously to understand your views and priorities, which in turn helps me represent you better. The representative system is one of the hallmarks of British democracy. We have exported it to countless countries around the world, and societies across the globe still look to us as the formative example of representative democracy. We must nurture it by maintaining the close links and dialogue between the representatives and the represented – so please, if you do get a survey, do consider filling it in!
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