Democracy and its fragility

The fragility of democratic structures is often underestimated but reflection will show that bringing about their collapse is frequent and often insidious; there is no need for shock and awe to achieve regime change.

The overpowering of the legislature by the executive has been a feature of constitutional change for decades but the last 10 years has seen a rout. The extraordinary spectacle of the House of Lords in last ditch defence of individual liberty and democratic accountability in the face of onslaughts by an authoritarian Labour administration, Bishops and Lords of Appeal standing shoulder to shoulder with the hereditary peers, shows how unsafe we are. The Lords have been valiant but they are about to be abolished for their pains.

The judiciary, the third support of freedom, is being distanced from government and placed under executive control.

The civil service, whose entire basis is to offer, impartially, administrative form to the policy choices of the governing administration has been debased by the importation of anything- but- neutral staff into governance, an innovation worsened by the placing of representatives from suppliers throughout the spending ministries as advisors on purchasing.

The denial of information, and that in a democratic system posited on a simple vote on a presented manifesto by opposing parties, is undermining all chance to react to what is going on.

Speaking of voting something out at the next general election begs the question of under what terms and under what constitutional arrangements the next general election might be held.