The oligarchy prostituted and perpetuated

Interesting to compare a recent article in the Caledonian Mercury with one of the weekend's big news stories. A comment piece by SNP supporter Stuart Crawford bemoans the fact that "talented and successful individuals" who complain about our political process won't stand for office themselves and attempt to change things, and he puts this down to what might be called the 'barriers to entry' (to borrow a term from economics) to the system putting them off, in particular the need to serve an apprenticeship in the form of leafleting, door-knocking etc to be selected as a candidate by local constituency parties. Instead he advocates some sort of fast-track entry for talented individuals on the basis that getting the best people is more important than "the most campaign medals".

Leaving aside the problems with parachuting in a David Kerr-style figure to a particular constituency - a problem not of course confined to the SNP - Mr Crawford's argument seems objectively compelling.

On other hand, perhaps the elephant in the room regarding his analysis is that it presupposes the current party political oligarchy, when perhaps the reason talented individuals don't get involved is that the only route in is via tribalistic and bankrupt party politics. Thus it's perhaps not so much party procedures that are the problem rather than the parties per se.

I've mumped and moaned about the difficulties facing independent candidates at all levels several times before, thus there's probably no point in rehashing these arguments now. However, at the elected office entry-level, and as someone who made a half-hearted attempt to stand as an independent in Dundee's 2007 council elections, it's interesting to compare the lack of media coverage afforded to independent candidates with the perpetual news cycle in the local press of pointless councillor comments in relation to the latest crime story regarding a violent attack, vandalism or whatever. 'It's awfie', 'something must be done' seems to just about sum it up, and this hardly adds to the sum of human knowledge, but on the other hand seems to help standing councillors gain re-election, as the party label helps propel them into office in the first place.

Of course, it's that latter point which links up with the big weekend news story mentioned at the outset, which is Brian Souter's half million pounds donation to the SNP electoral war chest. That in many respects there seems to be an ideological chasm between Mr Souter and the Nationalists is one point - although the SNP is hardly the first party to prostitute itself in this way - although as regards Mr Crawford's point about attracting talented people into politics this kind of thing will merely perpetuate the problem, since it helps perpetuate the current party oligarchy.

Thus the media, big donors seeking influence and other factors join with straightforward oligarchical momentum to make the walls of the party political citadel effectively impregnable, which in turn means a disaffected electorate and a deterrent for candidates who might put people first as opposed to party.

(On the other hand, Carnoustie recently witnessed a minor political earthquake with the election of independent candidate Brian Boyd in an Angus Council by-election, taking the seat from the SNP in a closely fought contest. Which shows that it can be done, but this very definitely represents the exception rather the rule.)