Meet the new boss!

The recent political events in Egypt have been a sobering reminder that democracy is far more an aspiration than a reality. Here in the west, it is tempting to mock a country where the head of state is ultimately decided by the army. To do so would be extremely naive.

The removal of the Muslim Brotherhood from power by the army was the result of two mutually exclusive facts. First of all, Egypt is run by a very powerful military whose power transcends every facet of their society. This is only noteworthy by its scarcity in many other countries. The second fact is that it was not the all powerful army who made the first move in this coup d'état. As is invariably the case in such situations, it was the people who effected this change by voicing their disapproval so publicly for so long. There always comes a point when something has to give. The only reasonable conclusion from the events of yesterday is that the army remain in charge as they have done for so long in Egypt. In addition, it may be argued that in common with Turkey, the Egyptians would rather have a secular state rather than an Islamic one. There is nothing particularly unusual in this since the Arab world is a good mix of the two.

As our media cast judgement on the injustice of running a democracy in such a fashion, I suggest they turn their collective gaze a little closer to home. Our own system is hardly the best advertisement for democracy. According to the last election, the Tories won 36.1% of the vote, Labour 29.0% and the Liberals 23.0%. Because the Tories and Labour have fought tooth and nail for so long to resist Liberal calls for a system of proportional representation, the number of Parliamentary seats allocated to each party bears no resemblance to their respective shares of the national vote. In addition, most of the cabinet consists of people whose personal wealth is such that their Government pay is but pocket money. Closer scrutiny would reveal that many acceded to Parliamentary seats unopposed in seats where a braying mule would have had a better than average chance of winning the vote.

Although not in the least bit surprising, it came to light today that the Public Sector union Unite has been choosing the Labour candidate for the forthcoming Falkirk by-election. Given that this was the union which awarded Ed Milliband the Party leadership, nobody needs to be overly shocked that they are pulling the party strings behind the scenes. The difference between the army in Egypt and Unite in this country is that the Egyptian army makes no bones about its role or its power. People might no like they way they do business, but nobody is in any doubt. Unite, by contrast, is underhand and Machiaevellian and seeks power by electing a leader who will best serve their purpose. The argument follows that a huge proportion of the 29.0% who voted Labour last time will do so again because that is what they have always done. This may well be the case but at least today the real picture has become rather more transparent. It undoubtedly leaves Ed Milliband with a major headache and he will need to engage in a charm offensive of Hollywood proportions  to try and consign today's revelations to the sidelines. There is little chance the coalition will be any mood to let that happen.

Although it is always sad to learn that people have lost their lives protesting for what they believe in, the people of Egypt are to be greatly admired. Revolution is not always the answer but sometimes you have to have the courage of your convictions. There is no danger of anyone taking to the streets in this country despite so many people professing their dissatisfaction with the coalition and its Public Sector cuts. The reason is simple. There is a massive difference between having a bit of a whinge and wondering if you'll be able to eat again this week. I suggest that the people of Egypt demonstrated in the way they did not through choice but through necessity.

In August 1971, the Who released what is generally considered to be their best studio album, Who's Next. For Pete Townshend the band's song writer and composer, it was the result of a failed project called Lifehouse in which he had hoped to bring a new musical experience to the stage. For various reasons, it was not meant to be. The resulting album though was an absolute gem with nine exquisite songs. For many, the stand out song was "Won't get fooled again". As the song draws to its theatrical end, Roger Daltrey spits out the famous lyric "Meet the new boss - Same as the old boss!". It has particular resonance for the people of Egypt and "democracies" everywhere. What yesterday's events have shown us is that democracy is absolutely fine provided it meets with the approval of the people who have the final say. Just as communism is an ideal which the North Koreans continue to struggle with, democracy is likewise but is sometimes a little prettier to look at.