Does Britain Suffer from a Democratic Deficit?

Does Britain Suffer from a Democratic Deficit? 

A democratic deficit occurs when key institutions of the country (such as Parliament, The House of Lords, the House of Commons) fail to apprehend and uphold key features of democracy, which can include representation, free, fair and regular elections, civil liberties and an independent judiciary.  

The most obvious presence of a democratic deficit lies in the low voter turnout during elections - with a low turnout, means a strong majority is rarely formed, so the house may find it difficult to pass bills and laws. This was seen during the Liberal Democratic and Conservative coalition, as each party continued to turn down the other parties bills when introduced into the house, and this may not of been just due to ideology conflict, as there was conflict between the 2 parties during these 5 years. 

Democracy also calls for representation of the people, and its impossible to represent people who do not show their political preferences through the general election, therefore these peoples views cannot be shown in Parliament, and pure democracy cannot occur.

Another factor of democracy is the presence of an opposition party, known for scrutinizing the Prime Minister at Prime Minister's Questions every week. Again, a strong opposition cannot be formed  if the turnout is low, therefore the opposition may not be representing the minority of the people.

However, it isn't right to assume that just because minorities are not represented directly in the Commons, is doesn't mean there are other ways in which they are represented. Pressure groups play a huge part in politics and legislation, as they are often consulted during the legislative process due to their expertise in such fields. For example, the National Farmers Union was consulted during the discussion of the Badger Cull and the use of pesticides. The use of pressure groups therefore promotes a pluralist democracy, as various views are heard and considered during legislation, and the fact that pressure group membership is increasing disregards the fact of a Democratic deficit in the UK. 

Nonetheless, some pressure groups may not have the chance to express their views due to their lack in size, financial support, and may not have the opportunity to affect legislation. This can be seen in the insider and outsider status in which pressure groups possess. 

Some groups, such as the Katie Piper Foundation have been unsuccessful in their cause - funding to plastic surgery and rehabilitation for  burn victims has not increased since the establishment of the group. 

Therefore, this contributes to the fact that a democratic deficit may be present in the UK.

An independent Judiciary is vital in a democracy, as if judges were politically bias it would affect their law making choices, This independence was emptheszised in 2009, when the Law Lords were moved from the House of Lords to a separate institution across the road from Parliament. There has been issues with Judges being aligned with political parties in the past such as  having relations to members of Liberty, and the case having to be resat with a different judge. 

Lastly, a media bias overrides democracy, as the media can affect peoples views, even if the facts may not be true. This can be seen as newspapers are directly associated with political ideologies - for example, the Daily Telegraph and The Times are associated with the right side of the spectrum , especially the conservative party, whilst the Observer and The Guardian are known for agreeing with the left side, such as Labour and the Green Party.

Ths again supports the fact that their is a democratic deficit in the UK, as as presence of bais media means there cannot be a true democracy.  

To conclude, there are strong arguments to support the fact that there is a democratic deficit in the UK, but it is important to include factors which argue this.