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The UK Is Trying To Undermine Its Own Democracy
Is this dystopian enough yet?
On Wednesday, the UK Parliament voted 282 to 235 to enact the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill (very catchy). While this might sound like yet another boring bit of legislation, that is far from the truth. You see, this bill restricts public institutions, such as councils and universities, as well as publicly funded cultural and sports bodies, from conducting BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel. If that sounds like a limitation of democracy, it is because it is! If that isn’t frightening enough, the reasons why such a bill passed should frighten you even more.
Let’s start by understanding why this bill restricts our democracy. There are two things at play here. Firstly, public bodies are democratic representatives of a group of people. Local council leaders, leaders of cultural and sporting bodies, and even university heads are all voted into power. As such, they act as a democratic collection of power and have a right to fully represent their body. This is a powerful way for the masses to hold large corporations, or the government, to account and protect themselves from tyranny, as together they are stronger than if they are separate. Secondly, it limits free-market economics. Forcing a person or group to buy products or services from a provider…
