As I see it, democracy does not mean the majority shouting
loudly so that no other voices can be heard. It also doesn’t mean trashing
people rather than debating issues. All too often what we get in politics is
far too much noise and bluster, too much interest in point scoring and no one listening
at all. Commentators wonder at the lack of respect young people have for just about
everything, at falling standards in manners and so forth, and do not seem to
notice that at the very highest level shouting playground abuse at your
opposite number is considered perfectly reasonable.
It is so important to listen to each other, to really hear
the alternative perspectives, understand the issues and show respect to the
people raising them. There are all kinds of things that worry, frighten and
trouble people. Sometimes those fears are well founded and need responding to.
Sometimes, it just means a proper explanation is called for. Mocking people,
shouting them down or dismissing their opinions tends not to solve anything,
and yet this is so often a normal approach in all things political.
Yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Question Time really gave me
hope. In normal circumstances, the first PMQs after a Prime Minster loses an
important vote, would be a time to bring out the knives. It would be a point
scoring session, full of disrespect and attempts at humiliation. If you kick
people when they are down, as policy, you aren’t going to get much willingness to
step back over key issues, when mistakes have been made. It is human to make
mistakes and we all do it. If our leaders are not allowed to acknowledge
mistakes and step down from them gracefully, that can mean pushing further and
further into horrendous error just to try and save face. No one wins that way,
with all due reference to badger culls, fracking and austerity, to name a few
obvious candidates.
Ed Miliband did not use yesterday’s opportunity to shower
abuse on the Prime Minister. Instead, he took the much wiser, nobler decision
to talk about the urgent need for diplomatic solutions to Syria. He put the
issues before the opportunity to make political capital. In doing so, he recognised
that the lives and deaths at stake here are far more important than a chance to
get one over on someone.
One of the things I like about being a Green, is that I don’t
have to go round opposing people for the sake of it. We believe in co-operation,
in listening to each other and agreeing the way forwards as far as is humanly
possible. One of the side effects is that when someone from another political party
makes a good decision, we don’t have to invent excuses to rubbish them. We can
give them the much deserved round of applause and get on with the needful work.
Well done Ed Miliband, you made a good and honourable call there, and it is
appreciated.
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