Engagement

The declining levels of participation in democratic politics and low levels of turnout at elections is a cause of concern in democracies old and new across the world. In the 2001 election the turnout fell to a post-war low of 59%. What was more shocking was that only 40% of those aged between 18 and 35 bothered to vote. The turnout figure only rose slightly to 61% in the 2005 election. A healthy democracy needs an active and engaged citizenry.

Central to all reform and modernisation is the desire to improve engagement between Parliament and the people it serves.  The issue is always a key consideration in all inquiries undertaken by the Modernisation Committee and was specifically addressed in the 2004 report, Connecting Parliament with the Public.
 
Many of the reports recommendations have been implemented, or are being taken forward, by the House of Commons.  These include;

• Improved facilities for visitors, including a Visitors Reception Building, and the abolition of the term 'strangers'
• A major overhaul of the Parliamentary Website
• Improvements to the Parliamentary Education Unit
• A new voters guide issued to young people on their 18th birthday

"When I speak to people on the doorsteps of Blackburn it is often the case that whilst they may argue against party politics they clearly value the things party politics can bring, without making the connection between the two.  What I would like to do as leader is to try to bond the outcomes we vote for in Parliament with the perceptions on the doorstep."

Speech to the Hansard Society - 11 July 2006