‘Grayling writes clearly and straight-forwardly about matters which concern us all.’ Photo: Book cover of The Good State: On the Principles of Democracy by A C Grayling
The Good State: On the Principles of Democracy by A C Grayling
Author: A C Grayling. Review by Nick Wilde
Quaker decision making does not work in the same way as democracy, exactly. Friends get the ‘sense of the meeting’ and, if we do not agree, we wait until we do. Politics isn’t like that. Winston Churchill famously said that democracy is the least bad way of conducting politics and in this book A C Grayling explains why, and how it can be improved. The author is a humanist philosopher who writes clearly and straightforwardly about matters which concern us all.
The UK voting system has faults, says Grayling. ‘Consider a constituency of 100 voters in which ten candidates stand for election, eight get ten votes each, one gets nine votes and one gets 11 votes. The last is elected, as having more votes than any other, leaving 89 who are wholly unrepresented.’ The system ‘produces a majority in the House of Commons on a minority not just of the electorate as a whole but even of votes cast’. The author looks at a number of other systems, including proportional representation, which is used in the EU. He writes in a concerned manner about the state of politics in the UK and the US, and the rise of populism.
Friends have had a small but useful role in parliamentary history, including two current MPs, Ruth Cadbury and Catherine West. Former Quaker parliamentarians include John Bright, who represented Birmingham from 1858–89. He campaigned for the abolition of the Corn Laws, was a lone voice in opposing the Crimean War, opposed capital punishment, and was against the bombardment of Alexandria in 1882 for which he resigned his government post. Quaker faith & practice quotes him saying that ‘moral law is intended not for individual life only, but for the life and practice of States in their dealing with one another.’ When Bright addressed the House every member came to hear the great orator.
Quakers are a voluntary, self-governing, cooperative, non-state society. We organise by agreement, without an overarching force monopolising authority and compelling compliance and conformity. Most local organisations are non-authoritarian and self-governing, although there are checks and balances like the Charity Commission which keep them within the law and safe. If they have any faults they relate to the weaknesses of any group of people working together. It is, though, akin to political anarchism which also requires voluntary cooperation.
Grayling looks at other systems of government, most of which result in a coalition. Such systems have specific checks and balances in that parties have to agree to work together. Reform of the current British system is definitely needed and Grayling’s analysis of how that could be achieved is an enlightening read.
