Evaluate the view political participation in the UK is in crisis
A participation crisis is the public’s lack of engagement with the political system, for example where
a large number of the electorate decide not to vote. Indeed, lower voter turnout in general elections,
combined with a decline in party membership, show a lack of involvement and reduced interest in the
political system. Indeed, the turnout rates for general elections have also been in decline, potentially
indicating a participation crisis. However, the methods of political expression have been diversified.
Online petitions and forums are easily available, resulting in increased involvement in the political
system. Due to these reasons, the UK is not experiencing a participation crisis but a shift in the way
the electorate express their political opinions and views.
One of the main arguments supporting the idea that the UK is in a participation crisis is the decline in
party membership over the last fifty years. Falling membership suggests a dissociation between the
electorate and the political parties, due to the general feeling of class dealignment as the UK moves
towards a post-industrial economy. As the distinction between the lower and middle classes becomes
increasingly blurred, the public feel no overriding loyalty to one side of the political spectrum. With
individuals having no party which they honestly believe represents their socio-economic group, the
public feel little need to become a member of any political party. This is clearly shown by the
significant drop of 2.8% of the electorate being a member of the Conservatives since 1970, coupled
with the less drastic fall of 0.8% for Labour after the recent Youth Quake. Demonstrating a lack of
involvement and also indicates the public’s fall in interest over the last 50 years. Showing a rise in
voter apathy, which is the lack of interest or awareness of current events and political issues that
affect society. This supports the argument that the UK is experiencing a participation crisis.
Political participation within elections are another reason why the UK suffers from a participation
crisis. We can measure this through the decrease in turnouts during General Elections, which takes
place every 5 years. For example, in 1951, the voter turnout for General Elections in England was
82.7%, which contrasts the 65.8% in 2015. This highlights the declining turnout as not only was this
16.9% less than 1951, but it means that over 30% of those eligible to vote decided not to. This decline
is due to a lack of trust in government, a lack of political literacy within the electorate and the idea
that political parties all have the same agenda, often due to media coverage being misleading. Indeed,
the media penalises politicians on their actions, creating a negative stereotype of governments. This
was the case with the 2009 MPs expenses scandal as it portrayed an extremely negative image of
politicians and government, resulting in citizens becoming disengaged in politics, which is a clear
path into a participation crisis.
Some reasonably take the view that the UK’s electorate now choose to express their political opinions
and thoughts through other means, such as online petitions and forums. With technological
development, online petitions have become a much more prevalent due to their ease of use, with the
2012 e-petitions attracting 6.4 million signatures. This shows a large amount of the public actively
engaging with the political system over matters which they feel need to be debated in the House of
Commons. Voters may feel they can have a greater impact through singular issues, such as giving
NHS Workers automatic British Citizenship, than voting for a political party with numerous policies.
Indeed, the way the electorate engage with the political system in the UK is changing, which has
resulted in new methods being used to represent the voice of the public. This could explain why the
traditional measures of participation seem to have dropped, where the truth is in fact the opposite for
modern forms of democracy.
To conclude, although traditional means of political participation seem to be experiencing a
participation crisis, it is clear that new methods of getting involved such as online petitions show that
the UK is not experiencing a general participation crisis. Actively participating in the political system
and seeking to influence decisions democratically shows the public’s genuine interest and
involvement in UK politics. Regardless of the method in which individuals choose to express their
opinion and views, partaking in the political process clearly indicates the UK is not experiencing a
political participation crisis.
Jack Panter