I have recently had the dubious fortune of becoming a research assistant with an MEP in the European Parliament. As I was thrust into this new skin I was told that I was entering the ‘frontline of politics’.
It has been fascinating to lend my eyes a perspective I had never come across and in doing so I have tried to distill the essence of the political. It seems to me that the role of a government basically boils down passing a law, or not passing a law. All the familiar debates spiral out from this point.
In the last week the EU Parliament has agreed on a motion to improve energy efficiency by phasing out wasteful goods such as Patio Heaters. Whilst the frantic colluding, compromising and horse-trading was going on around the parliament it became apparent that the political frontline is far from such politicians. Ultimately politics is experienced in everyday life, it’s omnipresent and inescapable. When you sit outside a pub no longer experiencing the absurd comfort of heating up the outdoors, you are on the political frontline.
Power, as opposed to politics is more opaque. Politicians, elected solely by citizens appear in submission to a myriad of other influences. In the name of pragmatism ideals, values and morals are easily relinquished.
The battle to prevent run-away climate change, for example needs decisive political action (law making) but politicians seem unable to manage this. The minority who dismiss climate change as the new ‘millennium bug’ are thankfully giving way to reason, yet despite democratic demand for action politicians remain impotent. Instead unaccountable private groups, corporations and their lobbies appear to run the debate and corrupt democracy. With skilled lobbyists, lawyers and PR departments they create a yawning information asymmetry and stifle political action.
In terms of the media, Britain’s leading left-leaning weekly, The New Statesman, for example, obtains of much of its revenue from advertising companies such as BP and BAE systems. This compromises its ability to criticise both these companies and the wider social structure that allows information to be constrained by such companies. Information is perhaps key to an effective democracy yet it’s blatantly undermined in almost all aspects of the media.
If citizens can overcome this hurdle they face further barriers trying to negotiate the lobbyists of unaccountable interests groups. When debating over legislation or other political action, politicians will face a barrage of highly skilled, well versed people who represent the interests of a tiny minority. When these same interest groups also command the funding of political parties, what hope can the majority have of their voices being heard and getting the appropriate law being passed.
It is a crime to blockade the offices of BP but perfectly legal for BP to emitt 100 million tonnes of CO2 producing crude oil from tar sands.
It is the general public who experience politics but unaccountable minority who dictate it. In this situation where power resides is debatable. Perhaps if people realised that they are the ultimate politicians we could retrieve control over our public lives.
