House of Commons - Speaker's Conference on Parliamentary Representation - Speaker's Conference (on Parliamentary Representation)

Speaker's Conference on Parliamentary Representation - Speaker's Conference (on Parliamentary Representation) Contents

2 Citizenship and engagement

19. We were asked to find ways to ensure that the opportunity to become an MP is equally available to everyone, regardless of their background, identity or personal circumstances. Before someone can take up this opportunity, however, they will have to know that it is there, and that it is relevant to them. They will need to have engaged, in some degree, with the process by which political parties develop their policies to improve society, work to communicate those ideas to others and seek public support to put those ideas into practice.

20. In recent years there has been a marked decline in the number of people voting at elections. In 1950, 84% of people voted at the first fully peace time election after the Second World War. Electoral participation then declined gradually until 1997, when the turnout was 72%. Since then, the decline has become precipitous with only 59% voting in 2001 and 61% voting in 2005. [17]

21. We could say that this decline has happened because people are simply no longer interested in participating in politics. Yet the same period has seen the rise of successful single issue campaigns which can involve millions of people, such as the 'Make Poverty History' campaign of 2005. Politics itself is not turning people off. Disengagement relates more specifically to party politics, and the system which puts one party into power while other parties call them to account.

THE FAILURE OF PARTY POLITICS

22. The Hansard Society has been measuring political engagement in the UK every year since 2002. Its most recent audit, published in April 2009, offers some suggestions as to why electoral politics is failing to prompt people's participation.

23. The Hansard Society found that:

· People feel that as individuals they have little or no influence over national decisions (85%);

· People feel ignored by decision-makers (29%); and

· People who feel ignored by decision-makers are more reluctant to become involved.[18]

24. Similarly, the Citizenship Foundation, an organisation which works with young people in schools and communities, wrote to us of a loss of faith "in our formal political structures, [and] trust in our politicians to deliver".[19] It is important not only for the recruitment of good MPs but also for our society as a whole that the loss of faith in our formal political structures is reversed.

THE APATHY MYTH

25. Long-term social changes have reduced people's involvement in their immediate communities, and their availability to participate in community activities. A "declining democratic tradition within families and communities" has been accentuated by a decline in what the Citizenship Foundation calls 'bridging institutions': institutions such as trade unions and churches, which created links between civil society and civic politics, are no longer as influential as once they were. [20]

26. In spite of these developments, a substantial number of people are interested in becoming more politically active if it is made possible for them to do so. Although the Hansard Society's 2009 survey found that 85% of people felt they had no personal influence over decisions, 43% of the same group—nearly half—said they would like to have some influence. 42% of young people thought that joining a political party helped to make someone a good citizen.[21] While MPs as a group may be held in low esteem, more than half of the people surveyed thought that contacting a political representative was an effective way to become involved (53%).[22]

27. According to the Citizenship Foundation, the main reasons why people are not becoming involved in decision-making are:

· Lack of time;

· Lack of trust; and

· Lack of the "knowledge, skills and confidence" to make the political process work for them.[23]

28. Our discussions in Manchester, Cheltenham and Leeds supported this evidence. Activists told us that in their communities the general level of political awareness was low. Some people felt alienated from national politics because of their experience of issues such as foxhunting, the war in Iraq or perceived prejudice in Parliament and Government against disabled people.[24] A number expressed concerns about the disclosures on Members' allowances and expenses, which were unfolding as we travelled: these were seen to discredit both current politicians and the wider democratic process. Many people felt distaste for the national political parties, and said that it was difficult to tell the different parties apart. Yet people said that they recognised the importance of Parliament's work and they wanted to know how they could contribute to it.

29. Throughout our inquiry we have asked the people who have written to us, and the people we have met, what they think needs to be done to make the political process work better. One of the most frequent responses we have received has been that people need a better education about politics, and better access to information about politics and the political parties.

Improvements in education

30. Changes to the teaching of politics in schools could increase understanding of the formal political process (political literacy). Members of the Youth Parliament said that there was not enough about politics in the school curriculum, and that politics education failed to show "how politics is for everyone".[25] While many of us receive regular invitations to talk to students about our work we sense that some head teachers are concerned that inviting a politician into school might lead to accusations of party bias. Yet without a basic understanding of how the political parties and the electoral system work, and what Parliament and Government are there to do, people are unlikely to see any good reason why they should vote or be more actively involved in the democratic process.

31. The Fabian Women's Network said that education should build "the knowledge needed to participate in society, developing the interest and the reasons to take part".[26] The part of the national curriculum which is concerned with teaching about participation in society is called citizenship. Citizenship became a statutory subject for schools in 2002. A revised citizenship programme was taught for the first time in 2008.

WHAT IS 'CITIZENSHIP'?

32. The Citizenship Foundation told us that 'citizenship' is

The Association of Citizenship Teachers told us that citizenship education in schools is designed

Effective citizenship was about empowering individuals "to drive change in whatever setting they are working in".[29]

33. We were told that the best way to build students' sense of political agency was for schools to give students a greater say in the content of their learning, and "to create opportunities for students to effect change in the world around them".[30] It was suggested that lessons should be based upon the experience of the community: students should be encouraged to participate in school and local youth councils, organise social enterprise programmes and hold mock elections.[31]

34. The Association of Citizenship Teachers told us, however, that there was also an urgent need for school heads to take citizenship more seriously, and for more specialist citizenship teachers to be trained. A recent study had found that more than half of citizenship teachers (55%) had received no formal training in the subject. Tony Breslin of the Citizenship Foundation said that this would not be tolerated in any other subject in our schools.[32] Money was provided in the Government's Budget for 2009, but slow progress has been made since then in activating the citizenship programme for 14 to 16 year olds and the work on active citizenship and volunteering for 16 to 19 year olds.

35. In 2006-07 the Education and Skills Committee reported its "expectation that all secondary schools should have a fully trained citizenship teacher in post". We endorse this recommendation. Schools will gain confidence in their ability to teach citizenship only if they have a better understanding of the subject, and access to specialist citizenship teachers. We recognise that citizenship is not taught under that heading throughout the UK.

36. In England, the Department for Children Schools and Families should work with headteachers and with Ofsted to ensure that the importance of citizenship is better understood and the subject is taught with quality and appropriate breadth. In the devolved administrations, the equivalent authorities should consider a similar approach in the relevant curriculum areas.

BEYOND SCHOOL

37. Since 'citizenship' only became a statutory subject in the national curriculum in 2002, most of the adult population has not had access to it.[33] There is also a demand within the wider adult population for information on how to participate effectively in society, and drive change. In the past this information would commonly have been passed on through churches, trades unions or institutes of adult education—the 'bridging institutions' referred to by the Citizenship Foundation.[34] These organisations were part of many people's daily lives, but in recent years the percentage of the population which will have regular contact with them has generally fallen. The organisations which have taken their place in some cases are housing associations, co-operatives and community groups: organisations where the development of citizenship skills is a beneficial side-effect of the organisation's main work. In other cases, organisations such as Girlguiding UK, the Citizenship Foundation and the UpRising programme have directly focused upon developing active citizens. Valuable initiatives run by bodies such as the National Federation of Women's Institutes and the YWCA help individuals to develop the skills and confidence they need to take action in their communities. Most of these organisations are however small scale compared to the previously substantial 'bridging institutions': they are less visible to the general population and they may be hampered by lack of resources or expertise.

38. The Government should ensure greater and more consistent access to youth and community citizenship engagement programmes.[35] The Government should also consider what more it can do to support organisations which are, directly or indirectly, promoting active citizenship and political literacy.

39. Following the National Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, all those seeking naturalisation have to undertake a course in basic citizenship and the basics of the English language. We recognise that this has increased both the awareness and knowledge of those who have come from outside the country and the necessity of reflecting in adult learning the potential for increasing citizenship understanding and literacy in the population as a whole. Logic would lead us to believe that this should be given greater attention in the development of adult learning programmes.

40. The UK Youth Parliament told us that there are various Government strategies relating to citizenship and participation, but they are not well connected.[36] If people are lucky enough to have access to a citizenship programme, either through school or through an organisation such as the Youth Parliament, the system tends to fail at the point where participants want to put their skills into practice. It is difficult for people to gain access to the formal structures for decision-making. Youth organisations told us that:

41. Representatives of youth organisations had ambitious visions for what a properly joined-up strategy on participation could achieve. They wanted to see programmes developed which, first of all, would provide tailored support to the individual young person in the form of mentoring, chances to campaign on an issue of particular interest to them, and opportunities to meet current decision-makers.[38] Secondly, programmes should enable young people to take up active roles in their community through local government, public bodies, business or the voluntary sector. Omar Salem gave us an example:

42. Participating in this way would broaden the young person's horizons, build their confidence and possibly lead them to more active participation in the future. Louise Pulford of the UpRising programme described what was needed as a "climbing frame" of different public sector organisations in which individuals could take on roles such as governor or councillor, "jump from bit to bit to bit and eventually … get to the top";[40] the types of organisations which would make up this climbing frame included Parliament, local authorities, quangos, the BBC, the police, primary care trusts and housing associations. [41]

43. We were told that it is important that any capacity-building programme of this type works across many different institutions rather than just one. Having a number of different organisations involved would enable participants to build social networks and gather experience of different positions of influence as they developed their leadership skills. These networks and experiences are particularly important for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, or under-represented groups, enabling them to gain credibility and compete with their more affluent or well-connected peers.[42]

44. With this in mind, public sector organisations should encourage the development of the next generation of leaders by appointing members of under-represented groups to supernumerary positions on boards and other bodies. This should be aimed at enabling people to gain the skills and experience they need to equip them to take up positions of influence.

What can Parliament do?

45. In recent years Parliament as an institution has recognised the role it can play in educating the general public about its work. Parliament interacts with the public in three main ways:

· through its website, www.parliament.uk;

· through guided tours of the Palace of Westminster; and

· through its information, education and outreach services.

46. In 2008 more than 90,000 people chose to follow a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster. Parliament's guided tours have been criticised for emphasising the history of the building and the detail of ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament when they should spend more time explaining what MPs do to examine Government's actions and to represent their constituents. [43]

47. Since 2003 the content of the guided tours has been formalised, and there is now a standard script which all tour guides are expected to follow. This has a core of information which must be included and additional information which the guide may add depending upon the needs, interests and abilities of the visiting group. Victor Launert, the Visitor Services Manager, agreed that it can be hard to balance the content of the tour between the historic elements which first attract visitors, and "the message which Parliament wishes to convey to them with regard to its current workings and significance."[44] We were assured that "The three principal areas of an MP's work—legislation, scrutiny and representation—are covered [in the script], along with mentions of their work for the constituency and on committees, as well as the procedures of the House … and the rights of constituents to lobby Members." [45] Aileen Walker, Director of Public Information, told us that a survey of visitors to Parliament in 2008 found that the majority of visitors to Parliament had "more interest in politics and in the parliamentary processes", and understood more about the work of MPs, at the end of their visit than they had at the beginning".[46] We are pleased that the new standard script for visitor tours of Parliament is proving effective.

48. Staff from the Public Information Directorate also told us that the House service had recently made education and outreach a high priority. Dedicated teaching facilities are being built at Westminster which from 2013 will enable the Education Service to welcome 100,000 learners to Parliament each year. A transport subsidy scheme has been piloted to encourage schools outside London and the South East to visit Parliament. Tom O'Leary, head of the Education Service, told us that this experiment had almost doubled the number of school visits to Westminster from 'Zone B' areas such as the Midlands, from 29% of the total to 58%.[47] A team of outreach officers has been appointed, many of whose staff are based in the English administrative regions. These staff train teachers, run workshops and support schools and other organisations in their interaction with Parliament.

49. We warmly welcome the increased priority the House is giving to its education and outreach activities, and we are impressed by the work that is being produced. It is vital that citizens know more about the way Parliament and its Members work. But we believe that there should also be a firm focus on providing the public with information needed to promote wider representation, without reference to any one party. The objectives of the Parliamentary Education Service, therefore, should in future include helping to encourage a wider range of people to become candidates for election to Parliament.

50. We were told that we also, as individual Members of Parliament, could do more to promote the concepts of political agency and effective citizenship.[48] Support should be developed for Members to help them to promote political agency and active citizenship in their constituencies.

51. However, Members cannot produce a culture of active citizenship on their own. There is an important role for public bodies to play in encouraging involvement. Therefore, we believe that all publicly-funded organisations, especially local bodies, should create opportunities for people who are interested to learn how to become more active citizens.[49]

16 Q32 (Fay Mansell) Back

17 Harold Clarke, David Sanders, Marianne Stewart and Paul Whiteley, 'Performance Politics and the British Voter' (Cambridge University Press, 2009) p. 8 Back

18 Audit of Political Engagement 6 p39 Back

19 Citizenship Foundation 1.x, 6.1 SC35, Ev 93 Back

20 Ev 91 Back

21 Ev 91 Back

22 Audit of Political Engagement p44 Back

23 Ev 90 Back

24 Ev 182 Back

25 Ev 33 Back

26 Ev 67 Back

27 Ev 91 Back