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Dear John,

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his annual state of the nation speech, two weeks out from the country’s upcoming “elections” (who do you think will win?). As Putin rattled on, just hours before famed democracy activist Alexei Navalny was to be buried, he claimed that Russia is a “pillar of democracy”.

That assertion, coming from the longest-serving Russian ruler since Josef Stalin, the man who signed laws ([link removed]) abolishing his own term limits, the leader that brutally cracks down on any and all dissent and launches unprovoked invasions of sovereign neighbour states, must be a joke.

But perhaps there is a lesson to take away from Putin’s spurious claim for us in the UK. Especially in times like ours, where words are losing meaning and many politicians say whatever their focus groups tell them to, we need to remember that democracy is not rooted in simple rhetoric, proclamations, or commitments. Anyone (even Putin) can pay lip-service to it, but to act in favour of democracy is another thing entirely.

It requires selflessness, long-term thinking, and a commitment to the core liberal principles of equality. It requires subjecting oneself equally to the laws of the land, making personal concessions to the benefit of the majority. Most importantly, it requires listening – even to people and ideas you may not want to hear.

Our string of embattled Conservative governments, too, pays lip service to democracy. They pretend to be “popular” ([link removed]) , to represent the “silent majority ([link removed]) ”, feigning a dedication to public service above all else. In reality, they’ve not only failed to defend the people’s right to exercise their vote and voice their dissent, they’ve actively undermined it. They’ve enriched their friends off the public purse, and they’ve dodged accountability wherever they were able to get away with it. They’ve met opposition with condescension and repression rather than good-faith debate and compromise.

To all of the UK political leaders, across all parties, who espouse their love of democracy: put your money where your mouth is. Commit to reforming this broken system, bringing in proportional representation, regulating political donations, abolishing exclusionary policies, and making British politics functional ([link removed]) again.

Simply calling it democracy doesn’t doesn’t make it so. Building a fair political system is a constant struggle, but one that more than pays itself off in the end. We’re not backing down from the fight, and neither should political leaders who claim to value democracy.

Matt Gallagher

Communications and Operations Officer

Open Britain Team
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