To ask His Majesty’s Government what is their response to the poll, published by FGS Global in January, which found that one in five people aged 18 to 45 in the United Kingdom prefer unelected strong leaders to democracy.
My Lords, before I start, as this is my lasting outing, I would like to wish everyone happy Easter and Pesach sameach for the imminent Recess.
Internationally, democracy is under attack. The Defending Democracy Taskforce brings a whole-of-government effort to defend against that threat and uphold the rule of law, but we must go further to restore trust in politics. That is why we have committed to a reset in public life, restoring a culture of service and deepening democracy through constitutional reform. Every political party has a role to play in this mission, and that includes every Member of your Lordships’ House. We all have a responsibility to cherish, defend and promote the core values of democracy.
I thank the Minister for her reply. As she rightly said, democracy is a fragile achievement and it is under threat throughout the world. In the light of that, what does she think of the appalling failure somewhere in our society that these figures reveal, with so many young people preferring an unelected leader to democracy? The Ties that Bind, a report of your Lordships’ House chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, located this in the failure of citizenship education in schools. I know the Minister can answer only on behalf of the Home Office, but would it be prepared to work with the Department for Education to ensure that future generations are better educated about the value of our democratic way of life than previous generations?
My Lords, citizenship education is incredibly important. That is why the last Government ensured that active citizenship was taught as part of the national curriculum, which this Government are continuing. We are currently in the process of a national curriculum review, which will report shortly. I would be amazed if active citizenship and citizenship are not included. However, we all have a responsibility to do this, such as through the Learn with the Lords programme and active participation, to make sure that young people genuinely understand what we do and why we are not all the same and why there is a difference. I urge noble Lords to participate in that programme and to use the imminent VE Day celebrations to celebrate democracy against tyranny.
My Lords, does this polling not flag up the unfortunate response of a public who, for whatever reason, believe that elected politicians in general duck big issues for fear of the electoral consequences? President Trump’s actions, like them or not, challenge that perception. Surely the public will respond positively to unpopular decisions by the elected if sacrifices apply equally across society and where they believe that all, including the political class, are not exempt. With fair play, equality and sacrifice, we the politicians can resolve this crisis in public confidence.
My Lords, there is a responsibility on us all to demonstrate the genuine value of democracy and to fight for change for our communities and people up and down the country. That is why this Government have a clear plan for change and are delivering on our mission-driven government.
My Lords, we have all failed as politicians in our use of populism, rhetoric, abuse of social media and soundbites—finding easy solutions to complex problems. Does the Minister agree that we need to respond to the wishes of young people and give them a much greater stake in what we are doing so that they feel much more included than they have so far?
My Lords, I think everybody in your Lordships’ House would agree that there is no politics of easy answers. We have a responsibility to engage on the issues that matter to everyone in this country, regardless of where they are, to make sure that people know that politics makes a difference in their lives. That includes young people, which is why this Government are bringing forward votes at 16.
My Lords, is it not the case that reviving local democracy is a necessary part of trying to re-engage people in politics? England is the most centralised democracy in the developed world. Sadly, this Government are following the Michael Gove approach of removing government further away from local people. Will they rethink the need to make sure that democracy and government are close enough to ordinary people for them to feel that they can participate in meaningful decisions?
My Lords, I door-knock and campaign every weekend—the joys of being engaged to a Member of Parliament. This Government are clear on our responsibilities to our local electorates and about making sure that local people feel that they have a voice in our politics. That is why we are bringing forward a devolution Bill.
My Lords, democracy depends on participation. As UK Labour Party general secretary at the last general election, I witnessed too much vile and unacceptable behaviour aimed at candidates from all mainstream parties. Too many choose not to stand as a result. With Jo Cox being quoted across this Parliament, can the Minister say how the Government are acting on the very necessary recommendations set out by the commission established in her name to promote political civility?
I thank my noble friend for his question. Jo Cox was my friend, and noble Lords across your Lordships’ House will appreciate both her legacy and that of Sir David Amess. On the political civility commission, I am so pleased that, before she joined your Lordships’ House, my noble friend Lady Smith of Malvern chaired it and published the report last year. All mainstream political parties have engaged and there were 28 recommendations, 12 of which are in progress and seven adopted, and there are three for individual parties to adopt. It is a core part of what we do, and the Government have a responsibility, with our Defending Democracy Taskforce, to keep safe those who are brave enough to put their name on the ballot paper.
My Lords, democracy is equated with majority rule and can easily become majority bigotry. We see this in the democratic rule of President Trump in the United States, with an alarming increase in the targeting of blacks, immigrants and refugees. In India, the world’s largest democracy, the Home Minister has referred to Muslims as “termites”. Does the Minister agree that a healthy democracy should look to what Sikh’s call “sarbat da bhala”—that is, the equal treatment and well-being of all?
My Lords, I spent a great deal of my time running HOPE not hate, campaigning against political extremism up and down the country. We succeed as a country when we celebrate community cohesion and bring people together, which is one of the joys of living in our democracy.