A Crawley councillor has appealed for courtesy and kindness in political debate, stating: “It’s as if someone has set the anger dial to 11.”
Justin Russell (Lab, Pound Hill North & Forge Wood) issued his plea during a meeting of the full council.
He aimed it at everyone from members of the public bigging up their party of choice, to the pumped up declarations bellowed in halls of power all around the world.
Mr Russell said: “Sadly we’ve seen an angry drift in the public discourse and that deeply concerns me. Kindness and courtesy are incredibly important.”
The former secondary school teacher said his seminal moment politically came in 2021. Already deeply troubled by the conduct of politicians, he discussed the situation during lessons, with students who shared his concerns.
When they asked him what he was actually doing about it, he took up the challenge and stepped into politics.
He said: “The concerns I think I had for democracy in that moment are more significant now. My concerns are about the conduct that we see in the current political discourse.
“I’ve always wished for courtesy and kindness and a willingness to disagree amicably. I’m worried we’re beginning to see that evaporating as we see a toxification of the language being used across our democratic system.
“It’s as if someone has set the anger dial to 11.”
While debate at all levels has always been heated, often childish and petty – depending on how many people are watching – many would argue that it stepped up a level with the onset of social media, and broke through the roof in 2016.
From Brexit to the election of Donald Trump, discord has rarely been louder.
Mr Russell pointed to a ‘determination’ from some quarters to create division and disruption ‘for their own short-term gain’. He warned that such an approach would do nothing more than weaken democracy.
He added: “It doesn’t matter if it’s Caesar using the mob for his own populares approach; it doesn’t matter if it’s the paramilitaries intimidating elected representatives entering the Berlin Opera House; and it doesn’t matter if it’s a defeated candidate telling his supporters to ‘fight like hell’.
“They all undermine the core need for an effective democracy, which is that of respect and courtesy.
“Sadly we’ve seen an angry drift in the public discourse and that deeply concerns me. Kindness and courtesy are incredibly important.”
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