Political Journalist of the Year: Runner-up

It’s no secret that Britain is democratic. A “constitutional monarchy.” It has been since the 1630s, but  democracy might not be all it is made out to be. 

A democracy is intended to empower everyone with the right to vote to make change in a state or  nation. However, over the past few years, under one particular prime minister, many changes were  made to Britain, against the will of the public: The constant rule changes, the multiple lockdowns, the  government’s ignorance toward health officials, the health officials’ ignorance toward the people; the  Track and Trace blunder. 

The government allocated a budget of £37 Billion towards an overzealous application that caused the  “Pingdemic”. That much money could easily be used to house all of those living in shelters or on the  streets, or to pay off this year’s student debt, with money to spare. More than 274,000 people are  homeless in England right now, including 126,000 children, and they choose to create a few lines of  code that will not only cause even more stress and inconvenience, but waste taxpayers’ money. The  public had no choice in the matter. It was up to the people with actual power over what happens in the  country. Sound like democracy? 

The National Health Service has been experiencing brutal pay cuts from our countries current  management. In Devon alone, our services will be underfunded by £681 million in 2022/23 – the  equivalent of 19,100 nurses, 5700 GPs, and 600 MRI machines. This is a service that helps the  people, the voters, yet still they abandon it. The total funds cut over the entire country are more like  £400 million from just 2018. What if the people could vote on such?  

A big part of society is law. All are equal in the eyes of the law, apparently. So, when the government  were making new laws, which the people had no control over, what were they doing? They had  parties. Sixteen gatherings were held at 10 Downing Street during the chaos of the pandemic, many of  which will not be investigated by police. The queen was seated alone during Prince Phillip’s funeral,  due to COVID-19 restrictions set by Boris Johnson, yet just the night before, the Conservative  government held another two parties. Alongside that, the Queen has sovereign immunity, meaning that “Queen Elizabeth ‘cannot commit a  legal wrong and is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution’”She also holds diplomatic  immunity, meaning she can escape the law in most countries. She is the law. That does not seem very  fair, does it? Ah, the shortcomings of democracy, not being democratic.