Democracy’s unwritten rules

The EU elections came and went in May.

The Brexit Party led by Nigel Farage, which had only been in existence six weeks, made extra-ordinary gains. But the Liberal Democrats, who have committed themselves to a second referendum hoping to stop our leaving the EU, also drew major support. The conclusion the political commentators rightly came to was that the UK is an increasingly divided country.

This deep division is reflected in the Houses of Parliament. On the eve of the ballot for MEPs to represent us, Mrs May resigned as Prime Minister. She had tried tenaciously and repeatedly to get her deal for leaving the European Union through the Commons, but had failed. She had made mistakes in the political process, but ultimately her failure was not down to anything in her. It was simply an impossible task. It could not be done because the two sides, Leavers and Remainers, are too entrenched and the rift runs right across the main parties.

It is actually a very dangerous situation now for the UK.

Why do I say that? It is not that we have deep disagreements. We have always had those. But something has changed in politics. It is the erosion of what might be termed the unwritten rules of democracy which perhaps should worry us most at this time.

In their book How Democracies Die* (which is intended to flag up many concerns about Donald Trump), Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblat speak of two essential assumptions which guard the continuing existence of a functioning democracy. These are mutual toleration and institutional forbearance. And, though they only allude to it in a cursory way, Christian faith contributes hugely to the maintenance of these unwritten rules.

Mutual toleration

Mutual toleration is the idea that, as long as they do so legitimately, our political opponents have a right to exist and to challenge our ideas. Other human beings may be foolish and wrongheaded in our eyes, but we do not treat them as beyond the pale. Every one of us, Christian or not, carries a ‘divine spark’. No human is worthless. Voltaire was able to say: ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’

But this honourable attitude is slipping away from us in the 21st century. And it is the identity politics which a secular world view engenders which leads us down this line. A secular worldview has no place for a ‘divine spark’ in us. Who I am therefore becomes reduced to what I do or stand for. And when this is the case then any disagreement with me is inevitably seen as an attack on me as a person. This is how mutual tolerance gives way to abuse and even violence against political opponents.

Institutional forbearance

Institutional forbearance refers to those in power acting with restraint under provocation. Again Christianity’s influence is seen here. Levitsky and Ziblat put it like this: ‘During the time when kings proclaimed divine-right rule – where religious sanction provided the basis of monarchic authority – no mortal constraint legally limited the power of kings. But many of Europe’s pre-democratic monarchs nevertheless acted with forbearance. To be “godly”, after all, required wisdom and self-restraint.’ Just as kings who claimed divine right needed restraint if they did not want civil war, democracies too need institutional forbearance.

But the worry is that the prevailing political correctness fails to take a measured view. ‘Our children, our choice’ is the reasonable argument of the Muslim parents in Birmingham who do not wish to have their children in school classes where LGBTQ ideas are taught. But their protests do not seem to have brought about any compromise.

As we have turned as a nation from our Christian heritage, which has undergirded our attitudes, it may well be that democracy itself will become unworkable.

How is it possible to heal our divided country? At present no political party seems to have an answer. If the Leavers take control they are likely to simply ride roughshod over the Remainers and vice versa. Where are we to turn? I think we know the answer.