Guardians of the future?
22 January 2012: Last week, Red Pepper was invited to the launch of a new report from the ‘Green House’ think tank about how to restructure our leading democratic institutions.
The report was authored by Rupert Read, the starting point of whose thinking is this question: ‘Democracy’ means ‘government by the people’, but who are ‘the people’?
Read argued that society exists over time and decisions taken today can have significant consequences for people yet to be born. His report argues that the interests of future generations should be formally represented within our existing parliamentary democracy. Building on the philosophies of Plato and of deliberative democracy, and on the precedent of Hungary’s innovative office of Ombudsman for Future Generations, Read’s report proposes the creation of a new legislative structure – ‘Guardians’ of Future Generations. The members of this body would be selected by ‘sortition’, as is current practice for jury service, in order to ensure independence from present-day party political interests.
The Guardians would have a power of veto over legislation that were likely to have substantial negative effects for society in the future, the right to review major administrative decisions which substantially affected future people and the power to initiate legislation to preserve the basic needs and interests of future people.
There has been extensive coverage of Read’s proposal: including in the Guardian, Telegraph, Open Democracy, Liberal Conspiracy, www.politics.co.uk and now Red Pepper. The House of Commons launch last week was attended by an extensive range of journalists, politicians and civil society representatives. Speakers at the launch included Caroline Lucas MP, Jon Cruddas MP, and Norman Baker MP (of the government). The Hungarian Ombudsman for Future Generations sent an explicit statement of support (for the proposal) to the meeting.
If you want to read Read’s report, here it is: http://www.greenhousethinktank.org/files/greenhouse/home/Guardians_inside_final.pdf
Defending human rights defenders Haldane Society chair Liz Davies invites you to a conference seeking to build solidarity with those defending human rights across the world
Appeal for solidarity with the people of Greece Add your signature to the statement of solidarity with the people of Greece backed by trade union leaders, MPs and campaigners.
Tonight on TV: “Tweets from Tahrir” Don't miss this on TV tonight - a film of the book co-edited by Red Pepper's Alex Nunns.
Could you be our new website editor? New member of our volunteer editorial team wanted
When the opposition does not oppose… ..the democratic deficit widens - so argues Tom Robinson
Red Pepper seminar, Friday 17 February: ‘Taking on the technocrats’ Trevor Evans and Mary Kaldor to speak on alternative paths for a progressive, democratic Europe
Neither Hattersley nor Miliband: why today’s left must ‘re-think’ differently Does Labour Old or New have what it takes to ‘re-think’ the project of social democracy? asks Michael Calderbank
Who are the Davos class? Just who makes up the global elite that has been gathering at Davos?
Countering the Olympics Elizabeth Carola profiles a forthcoming day of debate and organising
Carry on occupying! – your help is needed Tom Robinson celebrates the ongoing defiance of Occupy London and calls for your practical help
Radical cities: A guide to Nablus, Palestine Simply visiting Palestine can be a radical act. Sarah Irving suggests that the city of Nablus should be on any visitor’s itinerary
The students’ moment Student activist Michael Chessum reflects on the state of the fight against the Tories’ education reforms
Greece: how to avoid a social default Panagiotis Sotiris argues that stopping the debt repayments is the only way to avoid the devastation of Greece
Cycle city Kathmandu Jennie O’Hara meets Nepali campaigners seeking to tackle pollution and inequality by transforming their capital into a cycle-friendly city
An ‘excess of democracy’: what two generations of radicals can learn from each other Hilary Wainwright examines the possibility of forging a new kind of political economy by learning from the best of both today's radical movements and those of the 60s and 70s
Red Pepper is a magazine of political rebellion and dissent, influenced by socialism, feminism and green politics. more »
Get a free sample copy of Red Pepper
Looking for an 'AAA-rated' investment?* Red Pepper has one for you.
Unlike most European economies, Red Pepper has a serious strategy for growth. We're recruting a politcal organiser to expand our readership and subscriber base. Help us raise the money to do so.
* Rated AAA for Anti-Austerity Activism
The UK's leading supplier of Fair Trade products
Get our email newsletter, with news, offers, updates and competitions.Become a Friend of Red Pepper
Help keep Red Pepper afloat with a regular donation
Watch films online
See free trailers and support Red Pepper by streaming the full films:
Cocaine Unwrapped
The War You Don't See
44-48 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7JP
+44 (0)20 7324 5068
office[at]redpepper.org.uk
Without having had chance to read Rupert’s report in full, two immediate questions occur. How can the it be described as ‘democratic’ to appoint a jury to determine the interests of people who don’t yet exist, and for those people to have a veto over the decisions of elected representatives? Clearly our current democracy is inadequate to say the least, but deepening it would involve enagaging people in decisions in a more participative way. ‘Future generations’ would by definition be unable to take part in this.
Secondly, and perhaps more fundamentally, the climate crisis (to which this proposal is most obviously directed) is a result not of ‘short-sightedness’ on the part of politicians, but of the direct and indirect control of our societies by an unelected economic elite. Runaway climate change is essentially the consequence of capitalism. This seems like a technocratic ‘solution’ to a problem of economic power. Surely without a fundamental shift of power, no panel of psuedo-philosopher kings is going to make much difference?