It’s Time For Something New

I’m many things.
I’m a citizen of the world (sorry Theresa), who has a vested interest in the global approach to our economy, climate, and overall wellbeing.
I’m proud, and lucky to be, WEIRD — Western Educated Industrialised Rich & Democratic. I feel a natural affinity with other democratic, secular, progressive nations in the West.
I’m a European. The culture I know has been part-shaped through coexistence with the landmass across the channel, ever since the Romans performed the first of many what could be called “aggressive cultural revolutions” the UK would experience.
I’m a UK citizen, and proud of it. The impact we as the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland have on the world stage sits high in the global order, and from our international development work to our historic breakthroughs in literature/politics/philosophy and others, we have made the world a better place.
I’m English. I am a patriot. From the beauty of the Norfolk Broads to the hustle of London, from the great cities of the North West to the rugged fields of North Yorkshire; this country is in my blood.
I’m a Yorkshireman. Ever since my parents moved there with me as a baby, I have taken the white rose as my own and this great county will always be home.
I’m an individual. I am unique. As, indeed, are you.
I’m one person, but the above shows the sheer number of roles that I play every day of my life. However, when it comes to the crucial question of who I choose to represent me in the matter of governing my country — I am confined within a system which has (since 1945) based itself on a single question:
“Do I believe in free markets over central planning?”
Our first past the post system exists to ensure a direction is taken. Whether it’s traditional Tory values, socialist overtures from Labour, or the neoliberal centrism of recent administrations up to 2017; every 5 years or so a new way would be forged. Absolute power would go to the executive, a dramatic over personification of the phrase “to the winner go the spoils”.
The underlying assumption behind this is still seen in the daily narrative: from debates in Westminster, to the research of think tanks, to the mass media. Throughout UK political life, people will ask: so, are you left or right?

Oh, you’re a left leaner: that’s a Labour vote from you then.
Free markets are more your thing? Here’s the local Conservative Association.
Of course, smaller, protest parties exist, from the traditional third option of the Liberal Democrats to the world’s most successful protest party in UKIP — (albeit a movement that achieved its goal only to fall on their sword). However, research shows the preferred party of Liberal Democrat voters in 2017 was actually Labour — this is hardly evidence of a true democratic force for peoples’ convictions.
This left/right divide had a time and a place. Unfortunately, that time was the industrial economy of yester-year, and the place the divide between factory floor and head office (no gold stars for guessing which was which). When society was made up almost entirely by industrial capitalists and their workforce, a check and balance between them in the Commons was vital. But this isn’t society today.
If you’re a social democrat who believes in the importance of state intervention, you’re obliged to subscribe to the open migration policy preference of the current Labour leadership — no matter your personal beliefs.
If you’re a free marketer (note free market over capitalism — it’s important to remember these are different but that’s a post for another time), you’d better also be a Brexiteer (unless of course, you’re Scottish).
This over simplification of people based entirely on their personal economic convictions is so outdated as to be laughable, but it continues to be the basis of our entire economic system.
With this in mind, think back to the variety of personas that I embody above. Can my worldview be advocated by a single party executive? Can one set of people’s views match mine so narrowly that I can feel truly represented?
No.
In place of the left right divide, there are in fact a number of factors which much come together to develop a world view. Below are 6 simple, suggested criteria to form a basis of a more accurate personification of our beliefs:
1: Economy:
Free Market V Central Planning. The core belief on whether the market or the state is best suited to run the economy (arguably the most crucial aspect of our lives and well-being), plays a huge part in our approach.
2: Power:
Liberal V Authoritarian. Who do we trust, and to what extent, with the power over our lives. Is it us as individuals — do we retain our own determination of purpose or do we consign over a level of this to the state. These questions shape how we view society and ourselves.
3: Migration:
Open v Closed. An increasingly important issue, the decision on the openness of borders within independent sovereign nations will determine the answer to the current, unsustainable situation.

(An honourable mention must, of course go to Brexit: arguably the greatest polariser in British politics since the Corn Laws)
In all the above, we must remember these are not binary answers. I may be an ardent free market advocate, but still believe that guns should be regulated closely by the authorities. I may be a JS Mill liberal and passionately defend the rights of the individual, but still see the security benefit of extensive CCTV coverage.
In the face of these criteria and myriad of potential views within them; a two-party system can never be sufficient. This 3D view of the individual (beyond the left/right dichotomy) requires a review of how we do our politics, and a national debate to fuel it.
The answer may already be out there (single transferable vote, proportional representation, etc.), or it may need clever minds to go out and find it: but it’s an answer we sorely need.
Finding this answer falls to us all. I remember a story from my time in Westminster, when following the landslide of 1997 a senior Labour figure was approached at his count and congratulated — now they had the momentum and numbers to remove the first past the post system which has historically supported Tory majorities.
“Oh no,” this MP replied, “we’ve far more important things to do.”
The political class, whether through ideology, pragmatism, or survivalism, won’t make this change until the popular will demands it. Recent events in the UK have thrown open just how imbalanced parts of our society are; and none of these are so visually represented as the two party monopoly on British politics. Today’s world is so different to that of the 1950’s, isn’t it time we extended the progress seen elsewhere to inside the Palace of Westminster? A more representative, consensus based politics would be a benefit to us all.
