OPINION: ‘We have the power to change things’

FORMER UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s disgraced departure from parliament last week isn’t as shocking as it should be.

Our neighbours across the Channel have become accustomed to poor behaviour in Westminster in recent years, with numerous key ministers ousted as a result of breaking rules, laws or abusing and bullying staff.

It is a huge distraction from the business of running the nation and a big reason why so many people feel disconnected from and disenfranchised by their government.

In the US it is even worse, with former president Trump indicted not once but twice this year and continuing to plead innocence as he faces criminal charges while preparing to run for the next election.

In their farewell letters when leaving office, neither Trump nor Johnson apologised for their mistakes and they made sure to pin the blame elsewhere. While Johnson claimed he had been set up by his colleagues at Westminster, Trump demanded a recount when the vote didn’t go his way and effectively blamed the American people for his loss in the 2020 election.

Whether or not you agree with either man’s politics, it is hard to excuse this kind of petulant behaviour from a public figure.

It also puts our own valid local concerns around poor behaviour in the States into perspective and gives me a great deal of hope.

There have been recent examples of some deputies not accepting responsibility for or even recognising issues locals are experiencing and this has been disappointing. It results in voters, particularly younger and struggling islanders, losing their confidence in the system and being reluctant to vote in future.

Other deputies have behaved disrespectfully in the States and have been called out on this, but there are concerns from many quarters that problems persist both in public forums and behind the scenes and that more needs to be done.

Jennifer Nadel, of Compassion in Politics, a guest at a public debate last week hosted by Women in Public Life on this very topic, quoted Simon Sinek (a business author) who said that ‘Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people what they want to hear’.

This is extremely difficult in Guernsey politics when telling it how it is all the time could get you thrown out of the States at the next election, and it is clear that many of our deputies understandably struggle with this. Without the support of political parties, political careers are more fragile and this is a tricky situation to manage.

Nadel also talked about a code of conduct her organisation is pushing to be adopted in the UK, supported by a third of MPs which paves the way for better behaviour across parliament.

It states:

As your elected representatives, we should be the change we want to see. We pledge to uphold the code:

1. Put country above political divides, avoid language or behaviour that incites hate or encourages disrespect, and to work together to build a more united country.

2. Reform debate as a way to build consensus – not as a way to tear each other down for political point-scoring but to speak with truth and integrity.

3. Uphold a level of respect and professionalism between colleagues. We passed the laws that set the standards throughout our country’s workplaces. We need to be held equally accountable.

(Compassion in Politics)

So far so reasonable.

This is where we come in. We – and by that I mean the public, fellow deputies and the media – all play a role in how well behaved and honest our politicians can be and we have two important jobs; to support them in their mission and to hold them to account. As one audience member pointed out at the event (and I am paraphrasing), many of us vote for the politicians we feel will stand up for our views and argue the most vociferously in the States. Some even enjoy the heated debates. In summary, we get what we wish for.

This might mean we are inadvertently encouraging some of the behaviours we like the least. It is possible to have a lively debate without disrespectful behaviour and it’s also worth us recognising that sometimes the quietest of deputies are working hard behind the scenes. We also need to consider carefully how we behave when challenging deputies, whether that be face to face, in writing or online. We need to be setting an example of what we want to see.

I’ve written in this paper recently about the fact that we are sometimes too hard on politicians, who, lest we forget, are humans too, but we also have a habit sometimes of cutting those we agree with ideologically too much slack. Keeping the politicians who share our views in power even when they might not be exhibiting good behaviour is problematic but understandable and as voters it is our job to let our representatives know what we find acceptable and what we do not.

We do have the power to change the rules of the game.

Vulnerability is a dirty word when we talk about leadership as it is often, incorrectly, viewed as weakness. In our personal lives many of us build long-lasting relationships based on telling our friends the truth, no matter how bad we might come across and sharing our own difficulties and concerns. It is much harder to connect with people when they keep their armour in place or put on a front. Yet we foolishly prefer our leaders to soldier blindly on, pretending everything is OK. We celebrate leaders who leap from their hospital beds to get back to work sooner than advisable, as Johnson did during the pandemic, and lament those who show any signs of weakness, such as Joe Biden in the US who seems often to succumb to illnesses and concerns typical for a man of his age, yet still manages to do the job. Leaders who show kindness to others are often viewed as too soft or not up to the job.

This does not mean we should encourage group therapy sessions in the States, heaven forbid, but it does mean that a little more compassion in all areas of political life would not go amiss. Making the process of politics more accessible, including simplifying the paperwork, providing training and mentoring and fixing the curious lack of comfort breaks in States meetings, would remove any sense of inequality in the States and allow anyone to stand for election if they are up to the challenge.

In our day-to-day lives we are generally a kind and compassionate bunch and no one is any worse off by including and respecting others. We all benefit from making allowances to include people in our daily lives and we learn more from our mistakes and losses than our achievements. Sharing those, adapting and moving forward positively is the kind of approach that would and does also serve leaders well and this is bravery rather than weakness.

Nadel was inspired enough by what she heard here last week to suggest that Guernsey could be ‘the beacon others follow’ in encouraging a kinder political world.

Compassion truly does begin at home.