Getting what you deserve, or not

Trying to make sense of the election result amidst the deep disappointment that I can assume most Napo members will be feeling this morning is a tough call. It’s not any easier watching David Cameron crow about a ‘magnificent victory’ which, following a mere 1% increase in the share of his party’s national vote (the same figure as Labour) looks like providing him with a working majority of around six seats; hardly a ringing endorsement of his track record in government or his manifesto promises.

An election where the Green Party secured 1 million votes nationally yet achieved just one MP compared with around 326 for the Tories from a national return of 10 million ought to be an issue of serious political interest. It won’t be of course simply because it has traditionally suited the big two mainstream parties to stick with what we have. The debate is further fuelled when one considers the 5% share by the SNP that saw a Labour meltdown in every seat bar one in Scotland, or even (if I must) the 13% recorded by UKIP which provided the same with the same return as the Greens.

The nearest we have ever come to fundamental change  was the referendum ‘sweetener’ on proportional representation which Cameron offered the Lib Dems to woo them into coalition five years ago. The so called ‘historic opportunity’ that Paddy Ashdown used to convince Mr Clegg and their party that they could make a material difference to the voting  system and change the  face of British politics subsequently turned out to be a non-event in the eyes of the electorate.

Is it time to take a risk?

Like most of our members I have massive trepidation about what the election result will mean for your jobs and your families, the Justice system that we all work in and the future working environment in the outsourced CRCs that will put profit well before the interests of staff and the clients you serve.

But my key thought for today while I try to focus on the many pressing issues in front of me, is that there will be no change to the electoral landscape until such time as there is common ground between as many political parties as possible that their share of the vote ought to provide some form of commensurate recognition within Parliament.

Such a move would surely bring about greater engagement with a bigger proportion of the electorate (especially young people) who choose not to vote because they live in a constituency where they have already rightly concluded that their opinion actually does not make any damned difference.

The risk of such a campaign would be that extremist parties would, as already happens elsewhere in Europe, find a way into the corridors of power. That may be an abhorrent prospect, but if anyone believes (apart from the obvious beneficiaries) that a turnout of around 64% of those entitled to vote which results in such a disparate distribution of power, somehow represents a shining testimony to democratic engagement then I politely and very strongly beg to differ.

Leading the way to reform

Much of this will of course be out of our hands, but one of the first challenges that Trade Unions will have to face from the incoming administration is a further assault on their basic right to undertake lawful industrial action.

This will come on the back off the cessation of ‘check off’ (and we will soon be issuing details of how we intend to cope with that one), but be assured there will be moves to prohibit strike action or action short of a strike, unless a ballot result has passed a certain percentage threshold.

Hold the guffaws of irony if you will for the moment, (given what we are going to be subjected to from those who have a weaker mandate by comparison) and consider how Napo ought to lobby within the TUC alongside other affiliates, for greater electoral democracy and the full use of technology that will allow our members to engage more effectively with their union on the key issues of pay, terms and conditions, our wider campaigning strategies and operational activities in addition to the traditional methods of consultation.

If we can lead by example we might just strike a chord with a bigger audience than we thought possible.

More next week on a myriad of issues, meanwhile do try to have a restful weekend.