'Democracy is hostage to people’s willingness to participate in it' - YP Letters

David Blunkett has every right to bemoan the fact that whilst we’re in a national crisis two individuals are fighting for the votes of 160,000 people to become Tory leader and Prime Minister.

However, he needs to remember that democracy is hostage to people’s willingness to participate in it.

If they so desired, half of the adults in the population could be voting members of the Conservative party.

Most choose not to be, however, and those who opt out can hardly blame the minority who opt in.

Also, during the last Labour Government, during which Mr Blunkett served, Tony Blair stood down and Gordon Brown took his place unopposed, without so much as a fig leaf of democratic process to show for it.

We were stuck with him for three years too. Much democracy there was there - not!

Whoever becomes the next Conservative leader and Prime Minister will have two years, maybe less, in which to work miracles and turn the country round.

There will inevitably be a gap between what they want to do and what they’re able to achieve, so they will need all the luck in the world.