President Richard Nixon famously invoked the support of “the great silent majority” of his fellow Americans, in defiance of protests against the Vietnam war. Neither Theresa May nor Jeremy Corbyn can claim to speak for a “silent majority”. Data published last week by the House of Commons library show an overall increase in party membership in recent years. Around 1.6% of the electorate are members of one of the three biggest parties in England, up from a historic low of 0.8% in 2013. That ethos is currently endangered in the two biggest parties.

Source: The Guardian May 09, 2018 17:26 UTC