Is the defence of democracy a priority for us all?
HOW much I’ve taken for granted, living here.
Last week I was talking to a man who fled here to save his life, leaving behind a country consumed by civil war. Now, he fears a knock on his door in a quiet street in Northumberland, with the Border Force arriving to escort him to Rwanda.
Later, there was the announcement of the General Election on July 4 and the subsequent statement that no flights to Rwanda will take place before that date. I hope that my friend can rest easy for a few more weeks and feel a little more settled. Now the rest of us, at least those of us with votes, can decide whether he and others will have time to present their case for being allowed to live here in peace, rather than being peremptorily removed.
I sometimes forget how much I love this country. It’s such a good, safe, life here, we can overlook that our rights and freedoms, our ability to live our own lives in our own way, without harming others, have been established after great struggle, over centuries. The parliamentary democracy which underpins it all, so often denigrated, sometimes by its own MPs. Yet, whoever we are, we elect people to represent us and we can hold them accountable. Whether we vote for them or not, we can engage with a Member of Parliament who does their duty.
This is a letter which I received last Friday:
‘Thank you for your correspondence of 24 February, about supporting the establishment of a Special Rapporteur on Democracy. I am replying as a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister and your Member of Parliament.
We recognise that democracy is in retreat around the world. Autocracies are becoming stronger and more prevalent worldwide. The level of democracy enjoyed by the average global citizen is down to 1990s levels. Autocratic states may threaten the UK, our partners and allies, or the values and principles that underpin the rules based international system. The UK Government works closely with our allies and partners to counter the shared threats posed by autocratic states.
Promoting democracy and defending democratic freedoms are fundamental to the UK’s foreign policy. We believe that strong democratic institutions and accountable governments, which uphold universal rights and the rule of law, are key building blocks for secure and prosperous states.
The UK has a long track record of supporting democracy and inclusive governance, and we welcome any effort internationally to increase global focus on issues of democratic resilience. We are committed to working with partners and allies across the world, including civil society, to support more open, inclusive and accountable governance.
That is why we were interested in the proposal to establish a Special Rapporteur on Democracy. The UK recognises the valuable work of UN Special Procedures in holding accountable violators and abusers of human rights. Officials will continue to consider the proposal, in the context of wider considerations on strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of UN human rights mechanisms such as the Human Rights Council, as well as the expansion of UN Special Procedure mandates.’
It’s a chilling phrase ‘democracy is in retreat around the world’ and it raises a question about the current government’s treatment of the citizens of ‘autocratic states’ and its attitude to international law.
Nevertheless, I think this letter is an important statement of principle and of a consensus on democracy and human rights across political parties and members of Parliament.
Unfortunately, another letter made public from last week indicates that a political party currently being courted by Tory MPs such as Jacob Rees-Mogg, may not share a belief in promoting ‘strong democratic institutions’ with our Conservative government. The statement from the ‘honorary president of Reform UK’ that he intends to ‘help with the grassroots campaign’ in the USA where the forthcoming presidential election has ‘global significance’ allies him firmly with those who deny the validity of the 2020 USA Presidential election and sought to prevent the inauguration of President Biden through violence and insurrection.
I never supported Margaret Thatcher and I was horrified at her ringing phrase ‘the enemy within’ when describing decent people from mining communities, trying to defend their jobs. However, this came back to mind last week when I read Nigel Farage’s open letter. Coming from a former MEP and European Parliament pensioner, it must have caused some satisfaction in the Kremlin.
Farage’s new global pretensions to ‘end decline in this country’ are particularly absurd when so many of our problems with international trade emanate directly from the Brexit which he helped urge upon us. The ‘radical agenda’ which he claims for Reform UK is nothing more than an attempt to import Donald Trump’s malign politics into a UK which benefits from the human rights and democracy it promotes across the world.
As we enjoy freedom in our own country, we might reflect that the best way to preserve our democratic rights is to use and observe them. Let’s make sure we preserve our precious way of life, even from those who wrap themselves in our flag.