[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.80,0:00:03.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So little Billy goes to school,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.59,0:00:06.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and he sits down and the teacher says,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.34,0:00:09.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"What does your father do?"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.35,0:00:13.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And little Billy says, "My father plays the piano
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.01,0:00:16.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in an opium den."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.11,0:00:18.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the teacher rings up the parents, and says,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.10,0:00:21.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Very shocking story from little Billy today.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.36,0:00:25.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just heard that he claimed that you play the piano
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.10,0:00:27.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in an opium den."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.26,0:00:31.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the father says, "I'm very sorry. Yes, it's true, I lied.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.12,0:00:34.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But how can I tell an eight-year-old boy
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.75,0:00:39.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that his father is a politician?" (Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.16,0:00:42.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, as a politician myself, standing in front of you,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.41,0:00:46.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or indeed, meeting any stranger anywhere in the world,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.07,0:00:48.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when I eventually reveal the nature of my profession,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.64,0:00:51.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they look at me as though I'm somewhere between
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.74,0:00:56.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a snake, a monkey and an iguana,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.49,0:01:00.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and through all of this, I feel, strongly,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.43,0:01:03.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that something is going wrong.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.41,0:01:06.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Four hundred years of maturing democracy,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.61,0:01:09.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,colleagues in Parliament who seem to me, as individuals,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.48,0:01:13.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reasonably impressive, an increasingly educated,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.06,0:01:17.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,energetic, informed population, and yet
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.70,0:01:22.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a deep, deep sense of disappointment.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.61,0:01:26.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My colleagues in Parliament include, in my new intake,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.58,0:01:31.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,family doctors, businesspeople, professors,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.33,0:01:35.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,distinguished economists, historians, writers,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.56,0:01:40.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,army officers ranging from colonels down to regimental sergeant majors.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.56,0:01:44.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All of them, however, including myself, as we walk underneath
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.22,0:01:48.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,those strange stone gargoyles just down the road,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.33,0:01:52.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,feel that we've become less than the sum of our parts,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.35,0:01:58.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,feel as though we have become profoundly diminished.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.03,0:02:02.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this isn't just a problem in Britain.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.15,0:02:04.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a problem across the developing world,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.89,0:02:07.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and in middle income countries too. In Jamaica,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.52,0:02:10.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for example -- look at Jamaican members of Parliament,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.83,0:02:13.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you meet them, and they're often people who are
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.81,0:02:19.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rhodes Scholars, who've studied at Harvard or at Princeton,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.25,0:02:22.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and yet, you go down to downtown Kingston,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.31,0:02:25.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you are looking at one of the most depressing sites
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.96,0:02:30.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that you can see in any middle-income country in the world:
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.04,0:02:32.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a dismal, depressing landscape
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.81,0:02:35.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of burnt and half-abandoned buildings.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.100,0:02:39.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this has been true for 30 years, and the handover
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.12,0:02:43.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in 1979, 1980, between one Jamaican leader who was
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.39,0:02:46.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the son of a Rhodes Scholar and a Q.C. to another
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.86,0:02:50.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who'd done an economics doctorate at Harvard,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.10,0:02:53.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over 800 people were killed in the streets
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.10,0:02:56.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in drug-related violence.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.62,0:03:00.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ten years ago, however, the promise of democracy
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.11,0:03:04.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,seemed to be extraordinary. George W. Bush stood up
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.09,0:03:07.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in his State of the Union address in 2003
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.25,0:03:11.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and said that democracy was the force that would beat
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.28,0:03:14.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,most of the ills of the world. He said,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.30,0:03:18.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because democratic governments respect their own people
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.08,0:03:23.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and respect their neighbors, freedom will bring peace.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.81,0:03:27.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Distinguished academics at the same time argued that
Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.45,0:03:31.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,democracies had this incredible range of side benefits.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.12,0:03:34.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They would bring prosperity, security,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.42,0:03:37.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,overcome sectarian violence,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.24,0:03:41.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ensure that states would never again harbor terrorists.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:41.71,0:03:44.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Since then, what's happened?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:44.06,0:03:47.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, what we've seen is the creation, in places like Iraq
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.26,0:03:51.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and Afghanistan, of democratic systems of government
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.25,0:03:54.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which haven't had any of those side benefits.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.14,0:03:57.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Afghanistan, for example, we haven't just had one election
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.13,0:03:59.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or two elections. We've gone through three elections,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.80,0:04:02.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,presidential and parliamentary. And what do we find?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.92,0:04:06.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Do we find a flourishing civil society, a vigorous rule of law
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.53,0:04:09.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and good security? No. What we find in Afghanistan
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.100,0:04:14.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is a judiciary that is weak and corrupt,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.14,0:04:18.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a very limited civil society which is largely ineffective,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.32,0:04:21.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a media which is beginning to get onto its feet
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.33,0:04:24.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but a government that's deeply unpopular,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:24.15,0:04:27.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,perceived as being deeply corrupt, and security
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.92,0:04:31.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that is shocking, security that's terrible.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.74,0:04:36.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Pakistan, in lots of sub-Saharan Africa,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.39,0:04:39.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,again you can see democracy and elections are compatible
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.38,0:04:43.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with corrupt governments, with states that are unstable
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.23,0:04:46.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and dangerous.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.09,0:04:48.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And when I have conversations with people, I remember
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.38,0:04:51.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,having a conversation, for example, in Iraq,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.26,0:04:53.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with a community that asked me
Dialogue: 0,0:04:53.94,0:04:57.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,whether the riot we were seeing in front of us,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.46,0:05:01.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this was a huge mob ransacking a provincial council building,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:01.28,0:05:05.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was a sign of the new democracy.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:05.97,0:05:10.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The same, I felt, was true in almost every single one
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.11,0:05:13.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the middle and developing countries that I went to,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.06,0:05:17.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to some extent the same is true of us.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.11,0:05:19.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, what is the answer to this? Is the answer to just
Dialogue: 0,0:05:19.69,0:05:22.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,give up on the idea of democracy?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:22.34,0:05:26.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, obviously not. It would be absurd
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.09,0:05:28.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we were to engage again in the kind of operations
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.87,0:05:31.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we were engaged in, in Iraq and Afghanistan
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.95,0:05:35.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we were to suddenly find ourselves in a situation
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.47,0:05:38.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which we were imposing
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.14,0:05:40.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,anything other than a democratic system.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.58,0:05:43.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Anything else would run contrary to our values,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.14,0:05:45.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it would run contrary to the wishes of the people
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.39,0:05:49.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the ground, it would run contrary to our interests.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.01,0:05:52.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I remember in Iraq, for example, that we went through
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.32,0:05:54.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a period of feeling that we should delay democracy.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:54.86,0:05:57.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We went through a period of feeling that the lesson learned
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.55,0:06:01.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from Bosnia was that elections held too early
Dialogue: 0,0:06:01.13,0:06:05.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,enshrined sectarian violence, enshrined extremist parties,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.36,0:06:08.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so in Iraq in 2003 the decision was made,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:08.18,0:06:11.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,let's not have elections for two years. Let's invest in
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.30,0:06:15.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,voter education. Let's invest in democratization.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.47,0:06:19.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The result was that I found stuck outside my office
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.49,0:06:21.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a huge crowd of people, this is actually a photograph
Dialogue: 0,0:06:21.66,0:06:25.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,taken in Libya but I saw the same scene in Iraq
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.14,0:06:29.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of people standing outside screaming for the elections,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.26,0:06:32.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and when I went out and said, "What is wrong
Dialogue: 0,0:06:32.03,0:06:34.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the interim provincial council?
Dialogue: 0,0:06:34.99,0:06:38.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What is wrong with the people that we have chosen?
Dialogue: 0,0:06:38.66,0:06:41.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There is a Sunni sheikh, there's a Shiite sheikh,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:41.40,0:06:44.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's the seven -- leaders of the seven major tribes,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:44.55,0:06:47.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's a Christian, there's a Sabian,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.11,0:06:51.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there are female representatives, there's every political party in this council,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:51.35,0:06:53.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what's wrong with the people that we chose?"
Dialogue: 0,0:06:53.99,0:06:57.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The answer came, "The problem isn't the people
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.09,0:07:02.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that you chose. The problem is that you chose them."
Dialogue: 0,0:07:02.89,0:07:06.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I have not met, in Afghanistan, in even the most
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.32,0:07:09.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,remote community, anybody who does not want
Dialogue: 0,0:07:09.45,0:07:12.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a say in who governs them.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.23,0:07:14.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most remote community, I have never met a villager
Dialogue: 0,0:07:14.29,0:07:17.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who does not want a vote.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:17.88,0:07:21.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we need to acknowledge
Dialogue: 0,0:07:21.16,0:07:24.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that despite the dubious statistics, despite the fact that
Dialogue: 0,0:07:24.74,0:07:30.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,84 percent of people in Britain feel politics is broken,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:30.16,0:07:33.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,despite the fact that when I was in Iraq, we did an opinion poll
Dialogue: 0,0:07:33.13,0:07:37.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in 2003 and asked people what political systems they preferred,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.39,0:07:39.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the answer came back that
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.72,0:07:42.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,seven percent wanted the United States,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:42.78,0:07:45.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,five percent wanted France,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:45.50,0:07:48.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,three percent wanted Britain,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.15,0:07:52.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and nearly 40 percent wanted Dubai, which is, after all,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:52.51,0:07:55.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not a democratic state at all but a relatively prosperous
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.28,0:07:59.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,minor monarchy, democracy is a thing of value
Dialogue: 0,0:07:59.98,0:08:03.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for which we should be fighting. But in order to do so
Dialogue: 0,0:08:03.14,0:08:06.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we need to get away from instrumental arguments.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:06.49,0:08:10.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We need to get away from saying democracy matters
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.06,0:08:13.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because of the other things it brings.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.17,0:08:15.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We need to get away from feeling, in the same way,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:15.29,0:08:18.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,human rights matters because of the other things it brings,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:18.89,0:08:22.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or women's rights matters for the other things it brings.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.58,0:08:24.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Why should we get away from those arguments?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:24.88,0:08:27.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because they're very dangerous. If we set about saying,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:27.29,0:08:31.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for example, torture is wrong because it doesn't extract
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.98,0:08:37.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,good information, or we say, you need women's rights
Dialogue: 0,0:08:37.18,0:08:41.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because it stimulates economic growth by doubling the size of the work force,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:41.86,0:08:43.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you leave yourself open to the position where
Dialogue: 0,0:08:43.52,0:08:45.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the government of North Korea can turn around and say,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:45.61,0:08:48.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Well actually, we're having a lot of success extracting
Dialogue: 0,0:08:48.47,0:08:50.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,good information with our torture at the moment,"
Dialogue: 0,0:08:50.97,0:08:52.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or the government of Saudi Arabia to say, "Well,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:52.93,0:08:54.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,our economic growth's okay, thank you very much,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:54.66,0:08:56.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,considerably better than yours,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:56.12,0:09:00.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so maybe we don't need to go ahead with this program on women's rights."
Dialogue: 0,0:09:00.93,0:09:04.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The point about democracy is not instrumental.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:04.61,0:09:07.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not about the things that it brings.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.40,0:09:09.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The point about democracy is not that it delivers
Dialogue: 0,0:09:09.96,0:09:16.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,legitimate, effective, prosperous rule of law.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:16.21,0:09:20.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not that it guarantees peace with itself or with its neighbors.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:20.85,0:09:23.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The point about democracy is intrinsic.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:23.77,0:09:29.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Democracy matters because it reflects an idea of equality
Dialogue: 0,0:09:29.10,0:09:33.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and an idea of liberty. It reflects an idea of dignity,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:33.51,0:09:37.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the dignity of the individual, the idea that each individual
Dialogue: 0,0:09:37.38,0:09:40.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,should have an equal vote, an equal say,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:40.98,0:09:44.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the formation of their government.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:44.98,0:09:49.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But if we're really to make democracy vigorous again,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:49.04,0:09:51.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we're ready to revivify it, we need to get involved
Dialogue: 0,0:09:51.65,0:09:56.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a new project of the citizens and the politicians.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:56.46,0:10:00.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Democracy is not simply a question of structures.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:00.84,0:10:04.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is a state of mind. It is an activity.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.86,0:10:08.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And part of that activity is honesty.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.65,0:10:12.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After I speak to you today, I'm going on a radio program
Dialogue: 0,0:10:12.19,0:10:14.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called "Any Questions," and the thing you will have noticed
Dialogue: 0,0:10:14.49,0:10:18.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about politicians on these kinds of radio programs
Dialogue: 0,0:10:18.29,0:10:21.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that they never, ever say that they don't know the answer
Dialogue: 0,0:10:21.76,0:10:23.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to a question. It doesn't matter what it is.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:23.39,0:10:26.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you ask about child tax credits, the future of the penguins
Dialogue: 0,0:10:26.74,0:10:31.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the south Antarctic, asked to hold forth on whether or not
Dialogue: 0,0:10:31.37,0:10:33.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the developments in Chongqing contribute
Dialogue: 0,0:10:33.100,0:10:36.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to sustainable development in carbon capture,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:36.33,0:10:39.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we will have an answer for you.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:39.09,0:10:42.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We need to stop that, to stop pretending to be
Dialogue: 0,0:10:42.28,0:10:44.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,omniscient beings.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:44.16,0:10:47.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Politicians also need to learn, occasionally, to say that
Dialogue: 0,0:10:47.72,0:10:51.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,certain things that voters want, certain things that voters
Dialogue: 0,0:10:51.47,0:10:55.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have been promised, may be things
Dialogue: 0,0:10:55.33,0:10:58.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we cannot deliver
Dialogue: 0,0:10:58.48,0:11:02.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or perhaps that we feel we should not deliver.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:02.26,0:11:05.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the second thing we should do is understand
Dialogue: 0,0:11:05.15,0:11:08.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the genius of our societies.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:08.14,0:11:12.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our societies have never been so educated, have never
Dialogue: 0,0:11:12.17,0:11:15.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,been so energized, have never been so healthy,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:15.11,0:11:18.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have never known so much, cared so much,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:18.06,0:11:23.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or wanted to do so much, and it is a genius of the local.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:23.95,0:11:26.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the reasons why we're moving away
Dialogue: 0,0:11:26.65,0:11:30.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from banqueting halls such as the one in which we stand,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:30.15,0:11:34.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,banqueting halls with extraordinary images on the ceiling
Dialogue: 0,0:11:34.63,0:11:36.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of kings enthroned,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:36.40,0:11:39.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the entire drama played out here on this space,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:39.55,0:11:42.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where the King of England had his head lopped off,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:42.41,0:11:46.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,why we've moved from spaces like this, thrones like that,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:46.74,0:11:50.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,towards the town hall, is we're moving more and more
Dialogue: 0,0:11:50.47,0:11:54.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,towards the energies of our people, and we need to tap that.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:54.42,0:11:57.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That can mean different things in different countries.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:57.21,0:12:00.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Britain, it could mean looking to the French,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:00.52,0:12:02.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,learning from the French,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:02.26,0:12:05.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,getting directly elected mayors in place
Dialogue: 0,0:12:05.89,0:12:08.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a French commune system.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:08.38,0:12:11.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Afghanistan, it could have meant instead of concentrating
Dialogue: 0,0:12:11.21,0:12:13.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the big presidential and parliamentary elections,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:13.77,0:12:16.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we should have done what was in the Afghan constitution
Dialogue: 0,0:12:16.08,0:12:20.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the very beginning, which is to get direct local elections going
Dialogue: 0,0:12:20.76,0:12:26.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at a district level and elect people's provincial governors.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:26.31,0:12:29.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But for any of these things to work,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:29.04,0:12:31.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the honesty in language, the local democracy,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:31.86,0:12:34.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's not just a question of what politicians do.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:34.63,0:12:36.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a question of what the citizens do.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:36.69,0:12:41.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For politicians to be honest, the public needs to allow them to be honest,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:41.60,0:12:44.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the media, which mediates between the politicians
Dialogue: 0,0:12:44.18,0:12:48.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the public, needs to allow those politicians to be honest.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:48.81,0:12:52.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If local democracy is to flourish, it is about the active
Dialogue: 0,0:12:52.43,0:12:56.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and informed engagement of every citizen.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:56.67,0:13:01.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In other words, if democracy is to be rebuilt,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:01.07,0:13:05.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is to become again vigorous and vibrant,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:05.39,0:13:08.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it is necessary not just for the public
Dialogue: 0,0:13:08.54,0:13:11.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to learn to trust their politicians,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:11.45,0:13:16.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but for the politicians to learn to trust the public.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:16.33,0:13:20.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you very much indeed. (Applause)