Blick_UK Politics (9780198825555)_CH10

242 Chapter 10  Identity, equality, and power

Debate Is political equality a reality in the UK?

Someone might argue that there is political equality in the UK because they conceive of the concept in for- mal terms. For them, it might be sufficient that someone has the same legal rights as someone else, and that in theory they could take part in political processes if they want to. The existence of laws and policies designed to protect them against discrimination might be, from this perspective, enough. This view has often been found on the political right in the UK. A person arguing the ‘no’ side of this question might be of the opinion that political freedom is not just about processes, but about outcomes. For them, the theoret- ical existence of equality is not sufficient: it must man- ifest itself in material reality to be meaningful, and the system should function in such a way as to ensure it does. Traditionally such outlooks in the UK have tended to exist on the political left. Yes The UK has, since 1928, had a firmly established legal principle of equal franchise . All adults, with limited ex- ceptions clearly defined in law, have the right to engage in the most important of all political activities: to vote. They are thereby incorporated on the same basis as everyone else into the political system. Political parties and individual politicians contesting elections have a clear interest in appealing to voters and representing their interests. If one party neglects a particular group, then it is likely to suffer in terms of popularity—another party may capitalize by taking up this cause. The sys- tem provides everyone with a vote, and for their vote to make a difference. If they want to, people are also able to participate in politics beyond just voting. They can take part in cam- paigns, join parties, and contest elections themselves. Many social groups have become effective at promot- ing their particular interests; and representation has be- come more diverse at many different levels in the UK, for instance within the UK Parliament. Various elected bodies and the Civil Service, responsible for developing and implementing policy, have become increasingly di- verse in their composition in recent times. Therefore, the system serves not only to represent the interests of the whole of society, but also to enable people from across that society to take part in the process of government. There is an extensive legal framework to en- sure that people are protected in a variety of ways.

Discrimination on the basis of a series of different pro- tected characteristics is prohibited; and a variety of other laws address issues such as harassment. The legal framework has changed substantially over time, with frequent updates to reflect concerns about differ- ent groups, ensuring equality is maintained. Institutions such as political parties and the Civil Service have ac- tive programmes to promote diversity; and the Equality and Human Rights Commission is entrusted by law with this task. Political equality is therefore a reality both in a legal and practical sense. No In law, people may in many cases be equal. But that is not enough. The composition of senior political bodies does not yet fully reflect the diversity of UK society. Even though there has been some movement towards descriptive representation, it does not guarantee meaningful substantive representation. Institutions within which representatives operate, such as the UK House of Commons, have inbuilt characteristics mak- ing them resistant to the realization of the interests of marginalized groups, even though people drawn from those groups may be present within those bod- ies. The failure to achieve substantive representation manifests itself in a number of ways. In theory, people have a variety of protections from such practices as discrimination, harassment, and violence. But various groups—such as ethnic and religious minorities, LGBT people, and disabled people—continue to suffer unfair treatment and hate crime. Arrangements for promoting and upholding legal rights are not wholly adequate; and in some areas, for instance in relation to trans people, the legal framework itself is a subject of con- troversy.

Another form of inequality is socio-economic. There are significant disparities in the distribution of income that have negative consequences for the life chances of those who are less privileged. Where someone lives in the country also has a considerable impact on the opportunities on offer to them. While people may in theory be politically equal, therefore, the system does not deliver for all of them. Unsurprisingly, some groups are less confident that participation will actually achieve anything that is meaningfully advantageous to them. Some groups are also less prone to active political involvement, which in turn means that they wield less © Oxford University Press