No political apathy – but a lack of engagement
Contrary to popular perception the British public is not apathetic about politics.
That is the conclusion of a new report from the Electoral Commission and the Hansard Society, which found that 77 per cent of those polled by MORI were interested in national issues.
And, eight out of ten were interested in local issues.
But this high level of basic interest is compared to the minority 27 per cent who feel that they actually have a say in the way the country is run.
When questioned about conventional party politics, a bare majority of 53 per cent said they found it of interest.
But, the yearly audit also concluded that there are occasions where the public interest and intention of voting increases markedly – notably in the summer of 2004. This perhaps reflected the level of public debate around the war in Iraq.
The audit emphasises that political engagement is changeable and it is for political parties to capture the public’s imagination.
Sam Younger, chairman of The Electoral Commission, said: “Many of those who say they’re not interested in politics do so because of how they interpret the concept, but when asked about issues that affect them, their families or the world around them, people have strong opinions and a keen interest.
Lord Holme, chairman of the Hansard Society, added that if turnout was to be raised then politicians will have to do more.
He said: “If turnout at the next general election is to be higher than the bare majority who currently say they are absolutely certain to vote, then political parties and all others working to increase political participation in Britain will need to convince the public that politics matters and that voting is the best means of fulfilling their undoubted aspiration to have a say in how the country is run.”
Ken Cleary, chairman of the National Association of Local Councils, said the study reinforced the importance of local councils.
He said: “There is a real problem with people feeling disengaged from the political process that takes decisions on their behalf. Too often people feel that they don’t have real control over what happens. A key solution is to bring decision-making closer to local people, through the first tier of local government, so that they have a real sense of ownership over what happens in their community.”
