If you want people to be more active in politics,then you have to remove the extensive punishments that people face for being active in politics.
Why don't more people (especially the young) get involved in politics?
Because it is unlikely to do their career chances any good (unless they are a politician), and it is quite likely to cause their career prospects harm.
Peoples political beliefs are part of the way they think about things - to be punished for the way you think make it a 'thought crime' and is a direct attack on free speech.
The solution? Make political beliefs a Protected Characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
Make it illegal to discriminate based on political beliefs, and where necessary bring in quotas in the public sector and targets in the private sector to ensure all political beliefs are properly represented at all levels of society.
The first impact would (of course) be to install brexit supporters throughout the Civil Service and BBC, removing remainers who have been made redundant.
It would also likely be a improper for employers to search individuals social media and other historic material that does not form part of their current CV - other than to verify the details on the CV (or application form).
If you want people to be more active in politics,then you have to remove the extensive punishments that people face for being active in politics.
Why not just repeal the bloody Act? Must be one of the worst pieces of legislation ever.
ReplyDeleteYet it got through in the "wash-up" at the end of the Labour government of 2010 because the CONSERVATIVES nodded it through. Supporting "Equalities" was favoured by people like Theresa May to stop them being seen as the "nasty party" . It certainly made them into the "nastier " party. If trading standards applied to political advertising and promotion, the Advertising Standards Authority would penalise them heavily for wrongful use of the term Conservative.
I'd love it to be repealed, but am sure that isn't going to happen. However it may be used (as described above) to get some positive discussion going against thought crime and bars on political free speech.
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