‘Politics’ – Open to All? (From Surrey Comet)

‘Politics’ – Open to All?

5:27pm Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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For many, the prospect of entering the world of ‘Politics’ would be an unnerving and daunting experience. Likewise, for the vast majority of the electorate, it’s often seen as an elite club for the privileged few, its members being our elected MPs. And what with all the recent criticism over abuse of expenses, most people will have thought twice about, or even shied away from, any direct involvement - worried that their reputations would be tarnished if it were found that they have an interest. But should this really be the case?

I recently tested this as I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to experience Westminster first hand, following interest I’d expressed to my local MP, Mr Ian Taylor, last September. Whilst my request was received shortly after he had announced his intention to step down at the next General Election, to me, the offer to see for myself ‘behind the scenes’ at both Houses of Parliament (the Commons and the Lords) demonstrated a real willingness by the ‘establishment’ to encourage wider involvement in our democracy.

My experience of Westminster commenced with a guided tour of both Houses – each surprisingly smaller than I had anticipated from scenes shown on television; although the atmosphere was nothing short of majestic. Even through the eyes of a casual observer, the journey through Westminster Hall, and then the grand corridors of the Palace, is certainly worth marvelling at.

I was warmly received and, initially, invited to get involved with the hubbub of office activity, experiencing for myself the wide variety (and importance) of the work that goes on. Following this, not only did I get the chance to witness questions in the House of Commons, but also the opportunity to observe seasoned parliamentarians in action, such as Jack Straw, Bob Ainsworth, Harriet Harman, Ming Campbell and William Hague, to name but a few. I was also able to attend a couple of committee meetings; one being the Treasury Select Committee with Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, where I saw him confidently express his views on our fragile economic recovery.

But whilst encouragement should be given for more people to get involved (and possibly even active) in politics, we have to accept that in reality, the Houses of Parliament and Portcullis House – the administrative headquarters for more than 200 MPs – cannot literally be ‘open to all’ because, by their very nature, the buildings need to be secure environments with appropriate controls in place. However, from what I saw, the public does has access to much of what’s on offer – you just have to be prepared to queue on occasions and accept the inevitable security checks!

Therefore, in conclusion, we should all celebrate our good fortune that we live in a democracy – people in so many countries can only dream of this: but there is equally a responsibility on us to engage with the people we elect and the decisions they make. So that’s why we must grasp, or even create for ourselves as I did, any opportunity to influence how our country is run, because as the electorate, we’re the ones affected.

So, to end with the words of a former politician, Sir Cyril Smith, “The House of Commons is the longest running farce in the West End – the spectacle’s well worth seeing!”.

Go on, he said it, get involved!