new index reveals democracy more unequal than income in Britain

Less than three per cent of British voters have anything like a fair share of power in elections according to nef's new Index of Democratic Power (IDP)

New research released today, Thursday 22 September 2005, by nef (the new economics foundation) shows that democratic power in Britain is more unevenly distributed than income, and the inefficiency of our electoral system means that less than three per cent of the British electorate have anything like a fair share of democratic power.

nef’s briefing, Spoiled ballot, launches a new Index of Democratic Power (IDP) as the Liberal Democrat conference draws to a close in Blackpool, and delegates prepare for the Labour Party conference in Brighton.  The IDP is based on analysis of British voters’ ability to influence the results of elections from 1954 to 2005, and shows that:

• The democratic power that we have in Britain is more unevenly distributed than income: the most powerful electors in Britain have 50 times more power in an election that the least powerful. By contrast, the richest 20 per cent of the UK population have 14 times more income than the poorest 20 per cent.

In addition, the IDP reveals the gross inefficiency of our electoral system. If each voter in a British election had their fare share of democratic power, they would have an IDP score of 100.  However, the IDP reveals that:

• Only 2.6 per cent of UK voters have anything like their fair share of democratic power, with only 1.1 million voters of a voting population of forty-three million having an IDP of over 80.
• average IDP in Britain is only 19.4, suggesting that over 80 per cent of potential democratic power in Britain is being wasted.

Nic Marks, head of well-being research at nef and author of the index, says:  “The structure of the British electoral system is undemocratic and unequivocally unjust.  It is hugely inefficient at translating the will of the electorate into the structure of government, and as a result people are simply not bothering to vote.  If politicians seriously want to engage with the electorate, then they must ensure that British people have a fair share of democratic power.”

And there is significant evidence that the democratic deficit at the heart of the British electoral system is making us unhappy.  The 2001 post election survey shows that there is a strong link between levels of personal well-being, the health of communities and voting behaviour.  People who voted in the election tended to be more trusting, have higher levels of civic duty, were more engaged in their local communities and were happier than people who didn’t vote.

In contrast with the inefficiency of the parliamentary electoral system, the IDP reveals that the European electoral system - already in operation in Britain, gives each voter a greater and fairer share of democratic power.  In the last European election every single voter in Britain had an IDP of over 80, compared with only 2.6 per cent of voters in British parliamentary elections. 

In addition, the Index of Democratic Power reveals that our current system is not only structurally unjust; there also is an inbuilt inertia to change.  The winning party in an election is likely to have the safest seats, and its candidates’ best placed to come second where there is a change.  The IDP reveals that in the 2005 election the 100 constituencies where the voters with least power live were all safe labour seats.  The IDP also reveals that the conservatives benefited from a similar phenomenon in the 1980s.   In fact, the only people who can change the electoral system in Britain, are its main beneficiary – the party in power.

nef believes that the IDP adds to mounting calls for reform of the British electoral system, and urges government to use the IDP to measure the efficiency of alternative proposals.   Party identification in Britain is in constant and precipitous decline. nef believes that urgent action is needed to ensure that the British electorate is given a fair share of democratic power.

Nic Marks says “For some time voters in the UKhave felt that their vote doesn’t count. The Index of Democratic Power reveals for the first time, just how well founded their fears are.  Urgent action is needed to give British voters a fair share of democratic power”

read the full report

find out how much democratic power you have by viewing by county, or by constituency ranking

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	related
	at nef BBC news online Evening Standard epolitix
	Publications spoiled ballot: why less than three per cent have a fair share of democratic power in Britain IDP constituency power ranking IDP constituency power by county

	resources
	nef's online survey on well-being and political participation well-being at nef Democs at nef

	contacts
	Nic Marks Perry Walker