OPINION: Democratic dangers of being too independent with your vote
By abandoning mainstream political parties, we risk empowering individuals focused primarily on a conflict taking place thousands of miles away
It has always been said that the primary attribute of the First Past the Post electoral system is that it simultaneously provides stable government and sidelines extremists. The price we pay for the millions of votes cast for losing parties is that we have a government who overall will hold sensible and moderate views.
The status quo was dramatically challenged at the 2024 general election when there were five Independent MPs elected. In addition, independents were within around 1,000 votes of claiming the seats of three more prominent Labour MPs. The magnitude of this seismic change is obvious when you consider that between 1950 and 2024, there were only three other independent candidates who had been successful at a General Election. We know the reasons why these individuals were victorious. They exploited tensions and campaigned with a sole focus on the current conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Those voting were either unaware or simply did not care that they were deserting mainstream parties and lending their support to individuals who had made remarks that are deeply offensive to the majority of British Jews. Once elected, they have found a natural bedfellow in fellow independent, Jeremy Corbyn who we all know has a long history of engaging in antisemitic rhetoric and referenced being friends with internationally proscribed terrorist organisations.
They have unsurprisingly formed a not insignificant block of five MPs which now has similar numbers to other established parties.
At a time of deep division and unease, all members of the independent grouping have asked more questions of the Foreign Office than any other department. Many in Parliament and across society have legitimate concerns about the present conflict and it is right and proper that Parliament is used as a mechanism to hold key decision makers to account.
However, you must wonder whether those in their constituencies with worries over schooling, the NHS, cost of living or a myriad of other policy considerations regret their decision to empower individuals who want to focus primarily on a conflict taking place thousands of miles away.
It has been hoped that this would be an electoral anomaly and over the course of the Parliament, voters would return to the traditional parties. At the JRC, we have a large geographical remit that includes Lancashire. When studying the recent Lancashire County Council results, it is patently clear that we now must endure a prolonged period of political instability.
The tensions being felt across the country crystalised in one set of election results. Reform UK achieved a significant victory claiming 53 of the 84 available seats. However, from our perspective, the primary concern was that seven county councillors comfortably overcame the electoral disadvantage of not belonging to a party and won thousands of votes.
The victors again included individuals suspended from the Labour Party over allegations of antisemitism. Several others left the Labour Party prior to formal suspension whilst in the case of Michael Lavalette, he refused to condemn the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October. The fact this individual now holds elected office should send shockwaves through society.
Photo credit: http://manchesterlieutenancy.org/
At a recent JRC council meeting, we were pressed on whether we had formulated a plan to deal with this situation. Unfortunately, given the unprecedented nature of the challenge, there is no playbook we can fall back on. As a result, we are taking meetings and looking to understand what is driving people to abandon mainstream parties to vote for independent candidates solely focused on the current conflict in Israel and Gaza.
A regular theme is one of disenfranchisement and when people are struggling financially or cannot see improvements when they leave their houses, they are historically more likely to be attracted to extreme narratives and support candidates who they would previously ignore.
Voters are then willing to overlook the fact that there is no ability for a county council to affect international affairs and register a protest vote. When you take this step for the first time, it then makes it easier to do so again when considering who to support at a General Election.
This one county council election could have a profound effect on government policy. As attitudes in Westminster harden to Israel as a direct result of electoral pressure, a lack of understanding of the challenges being faced by the Israeli government and a constant barrage of biased media attention, it is clear that this political instability is here to stay.
We need to find a way of proactively engaging with this issue and we have entered constructive dialogue between different communities in good faith.
I am pleased with how the JRC speaks on a local and national level with elected representatives across the country as we formulate a way to advocate on behalf of our community and warn people away from embracing extremist voices. This is a generational issue but we are ready for the fight and are committed to ensuring those who wish to do us harm are exposed prior to being elected at the ballot box.
- Mark Adlestone, chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and region
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