New politics

Posted on April 17, 2012 by stephennicholl Instead of just reforming the institutions, reducing the number of departments, reducing the number of MLA’s Councillors and MP’s why don’t we take a further step and change the way we think about politics and politicians. For many people inside and outside the system politics is about power, yet such a term sums up the inadequacies within the current system. Power can be used for good or bad, in fact it doesn’t have to be used all it can just be held onto to prevent others from getting access to it. Do power politics meet the needs of society, not if that power isn’t used to generate the changes needed to improve society. If we are to change society we must start by changing the concept of politics from being about taking power to one of taking responsibility. What difference would we see if those who were elected were held personally responsible for every child growing up in poverty, for every delayed operation, for every jobless individual. Personal responsibility brings with it the necessary democratic accountability, it moves electoral manifesto’s beyond the aspirational to the practical and deliverable and becomes the driving force behind a changed society. How many of those who hold power today would take responsibility tomorrow.