A House of Commons committee last week called for the formation of
a 'Democracy Commission' to promote the benefits of political
involvement among the general public
MARC MONINSKI, Fishburn Hedges
'Voter apathy doesn't mean people don't care about politics . What
people don't care for is the way the political system plays out in the
public arena. People hate spin, dogmatic assertion and the lack of
debate. It's not just politicians at fault - the media are culpable,
too. The real PR challenge is to convince people that politics is
meaningful. PR for the people should be about showing how political
decisions affect us all in simple terms, not spinning to make sure The
Sun headline is on message. Far better to concentrate on the human
stories of politics rather than the humans who do politics. But don't
expect PR to get us back to mass participation. People are too busy
getting on with their lives.'
JESSICA ELGOOD, Mori
'There is a myth the public is not interested in politics anymore; this
is untrue, the same proportion say they are interested now as did 20
years ago. But it is true to say the 2001 election failed to connect
with voters. Voters' priorities were public services such as health and
education, not Europe or immigration. There was too much coverage of
non-issues. Voters were given coverage of national politicians, whereas
they wanted more information about their local candidates and policy
detail. There is a perception that politicians seem to be more involved
with the media than the public. To revive interest, PR must show how
voting can affect people's lives.'
SIMON MILLER, Hill & Knowlton
'Politicians often over-promise and give evasive responses - they need
to listen more. Despite the wealth of consultations brought forward by
the Government, the suspicion is often that Tony and Gordon have already
decided what they are going to do anyway. This turns people off
politicians. A big priority for Labour in its second term is to deliver
clear improvements to public services. If they happen, PR will have a
role in communicating the improvements and could help persuade doubters
that politics can make a difference. If they don't, the Government will
still tell us that the garden is smelling of roses. This will win Labour
the next election but won't re-engage politics with the public. I
suspect the other PR - proportional representation - may be the single
most effective step.'
KRISTIN SYLTEVIK, Hotwire PR
'Voting figures are appalling but this is not surprising when at the
height of each campaign, all the public sees and hears is a right to
left slanging match led by patronising ads and fuelled by tabloid-style
comment. MPs criticise the Government for not setting targets for new
measures to counter the problem, such as increased use of the internet.
But will introducing and promoting devices such as online voting
processes increase the number of votes? In my view, no. What we need is
trust and this is where PR truly can help to revive public interest in
politics. Politicians need to know when they are spun too far; they need
to understand that honest communication works best in the long run. Only
when we feel we can trust those in power will the polling stations,
whether off or online, start to fill up.'
