Democratic Deficit

Question 1

Fptp

Answer 1

Disproportional, safe seats 2/3rd of seats vs 1/3rd of votes
Harms minor parties
Tactical voting
Wasted votes

Ca
Keeps extremists out e.g 2010 BNP and Caerphilly election- fptp and tactical voting has proven to keep reform out, no need to be replaced, sacrifice a bit of proportionality for safeguarding against radicals

Question 2

Ref

Answer 2

Misleading leaving the EU will free up £300 million
Electorate il informed, lowered voting age to 16.
Can be divisive and cause social rifts and rupture e.g Brexit 2016 Cameron used ref to get re-elected and keep ukip out bc they cost the tories about 27 seats last election. Largest discrepancy faced in NE: 89.7% of MPs did not align with the majority in their region and at constitutional level, 20% of MPs representing a ‘remain’ con supported leave and 69% representing’ leave’ con supported remain-clash with political conviction.
However, do get people involved e.g Scotland ref, confirm and legitimise policy

Question 3

Dev

Answer 3

Asymmetric leading to greater discrepancies in public services, undermine equal citizenship
2025 Transport Select commitee free bus fare for under 21yos rejected but they have been free in Scotland, NI and wales
In aug 2023, guardian reported that devolved bodies had fallen behind in NHS performance: wales 1 in 20 people on nhs waiting list for a yr
Govt rejected the transport select committee’s recommendations of free bus travel under 22. Scotland free since 2022 - whereas England has reserved this for over 66 year olds. Eligbilty for free bus travel vary sign depending on your location - dem def = sig variation in policy across the UK, strengthening the call for the creation of an English parl to ensure consistent rep and policy outcome

Ca= labs of democracies= free morning after pill policy laboratories — integrated into England to reduce postcode lottery where access and costs (up to £30) varied by local council.
2024 8 new devo plans
Control transport and covid 19 regulations NI graduated driver license to be introduced in 2026 - if successsful can be introduced to England
After Brexit,allows a lot of policy area that used to be governed by the EU given to devolved bodies — but NI protocol lots of divide and West Lothian Question —

Article: moral outrage doesn’t justify riding roughshod over democracy
Last week, Kim Leadbeater MP’s landmark Bill to legalise assisted dying in England & Wales was passed by the UK House of Commons by 330-275 votes.

The Campaign for an English Parliament has no position on assisted dying but it does on the shameful interference in this devolved matter by MPs elected in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Scottish and Northern Irish MPs didn’t change the outcome of the vote but they were collectively responsible for reducing the majority in favour of the Bill by 20 votes. Despite being a devolved matter, 46 of Scotland’s 57 MPs and 10 of Northern Ireland’s 18 MPs voted on assisted dying in England & Wales, the majority voting against the measures.

There is no justification for the undemocratic interference of MPs in the domestic affairs of another member state of the UK and this is especially true of such an important and contentious issue.

For years we were told by British nationalists that an English Parliament was unnecessary and that English Votes on English Laws (or English Pauses for English Clauses to be more accurate) would solve the democratic deficit without the inconvenience of making England an equal member of the British Union. It was suspended during the pandemic to speed up the legislative process and subsequently abolished, having failed to make any meaningful impact other than confusing MPs.

The assisted dying Bill is just the latest of the regular reminders that the problem hasn’t gone away and that there is no plan to address it. If you live in England, ask your MP what they intend to do to ensure English laws are made by MPs that can be held to account by voters in England and let us know if you get an answer.

Question 4

Political parties

Answer 4

Yes dem def = The decline in party membership is a key indicator of a democratic deficit. Political parties are essential vehicles for political action—they connect citizens to the state, aggregate interests, and hold leaders accountable. When membership falls, this link weakens.
Despite winning their most historic win in 2024 (72 seats in parl) Lib Dem membership had halved in 5 years from 118,000 in 2020 to 60,000 in 2025. As political parties are a fundamental cornerstone of UK politics, this decline proves that democracy is an ailing body - people are less politically active. Labour 2024 has lost 10% of its total membership over their first year in govt after an era of conservative dominance.

Ca= support for minor parties - people are still engaged in pol parties if the minor parties are willing to propose some radical change from th ebig 2 that voters are disillusioed with. 20% green under Zak Polanski. Reform uk under Farge about 268,000 mebers in 2025 - even MPs like Robert jenrick and suella braverman have defected - supports represntive democracy because under a Burkean view, MPs r elected to use their own judgement and respond to political developments in the way they believe best represents their constituents interests, even if it means changing parties (2 party dominance weakened). Lib Dem’s most politically active - canvassed 19% voters face to face or by Phone - counting does not equal how engaged they r - quantity decreased but quality increased. Participation realignment away from established parties rather than a democratic deficit