The character V, in the film (not the excellent graphic novel) V for Vendetta (James McTeigue, 2006), states, towards the end, “People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people”. It often seems that many leaders seem to react to this fear with the action of defiance. Rather than agree, or ever concur with the public, they doggedly hold on to their mandate, as if just because a million people actively disagree, this doesn’t mean they should change their mind.
Whilst the debates of leadership continue to dominate most writing on political economy and political journalism, it is the current news at the Lib Dem party spring conference that is of interest here. Nick Clegg is reportedly ‘defiant’, and will be telling his party to not be “cowed by what people are saying about us”1. This is, supposedly, to show Mr Clegg’s strength through a battle against the ‘activists’, although it appears that many party members are also disgruntled with Mr Clegg’s leadership. This comes amidst suggestions that the Lib Dem leadership are losing any sense of political differentiation from the majority party in the coalition.
There are at least two major fear/defiance linkages here. The first is the tendency to publicly ignore or defy what people are asking for outside of an election period. Leaders rarefy public opinion for a short time every five years, but ignore it outside of that. But this does not chime well with the electorate who are being ignored. Whilst we might not march as much; the website 38 Degrees, for example, is all about building democratic action against government proposals by the simple expedient of mass online petitions, we still want our needs to be met. And when we did march, in particular the example of the War in Iraq march which saw a million people take to the streets of London, this found Mr Blair in ‘defiant’ mood against the actions of the public. It took Hollywood actor Tim Robbins, who was on the march, to suggest that this was "what democracy looks like. If Mr Bush and Mr Blair ignored them they are not rightful leaders of a democracy"2.
The second linkage is in the term activist. We’ve seen Nick Clegg try and suggest that anyone that disagrees with him are the same as a handful of rioting students. But when the term ‘activists’ cover not only the students, but the group of charming ladies who are trying to save our local library from closing, its time to ask who remains on the side of the non-activists.
Dr David Land
Co-Managing Director
Social Innovation Unit
The Social Innovation Unit exists as a central hub for ideas and innovations to improve the public sector. It offers research, training and support for social enterprises and private businesses that want to know how to engage with the public sector, and how to find a better way to work to deliver better services for all.
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1 ‘Nick Clegg to rally Lib Dems at Sheffield amid protests’, BBC, 11/03/11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12711060
2 ‘Million March against Iraq War’. BBC 16/2/03 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/2765041.stm
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