An American View on British Politics

How the findings of a leading American political pollster support the goals of 'Democracy 2015'

Andreas Whittam Smith with members of the Democracy 2015 team. The movement aims to return political power to ordinary people (Susannah Ireland)

What a leading American political pollster, Stan Greenberg, who has been testing the political temperature in Britain has found, supports the notion that ‘Democracy 2015’ is an idea whose time has come.

Mr. Greenberg says that British voters want a fundamental change in the way the economy works, but are sceptical that the electorate can have much influence. He is right so far as the current structure of British politics is concerned, but Democracy 2015 aims to change that. He also correctly emphasises the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. Inequality has become a major concern again.

Furthermore Mr. Greenberg delivers a valuable insight into contemporary politics: ‘voters judge parties not just on what they deliver but also on who they deliver it for.’ I would add that voters also care what sort of politicians decide policy.

The most interesting polling result is that by a margin of 47 – 35, Britons believe that ‘we need to fundamentally change the way our country and economy works’. That is exactly the task that Democracy 2015 has set itself.