“Democracy is a form of government whereby the mechanics of the state are run by by the people – direct democracy – or by means of their elected representatives – representative democracy.”
The day the election was called, Welsh Icons let it be known that we would be happy to carry statements from anyone who was standing for election – whatever their party.
Many thanks to all who did respond and especially to the BNP for not responding – Welsh Icons loves free speech and hates fascists and could do without any more moral dilemmas.
Today is a very important day.
Welsh Icons has bit its collective tongue over the past few weeks and tried to provide you, our readers, with impartial coverage of the build up to the 2010 general election in Wales.
In return we ask one small thing: PLEASE go out and vote today.
We ask you to vote with your hearts and with your heads.
The right to vote was hard won, and we know that you know that Welsh blood was spilled in that battle.
We are not telling you how to vote, just asking you to have a little think about the issues Wales is facing at the moment and then go and put your cross on your ballot paper.
Some of you will have voted for Susan Boyle on the X factor or for Rage against the Machine for Christmas No 1 on Facebook, or might have helped name a Blue Peter cat.
But today is really important.
There are millions of people across the world fighting and still giving their lives in the name of the democracy, so please go and exercise your right to vote today.
Dom
Editor – Welsh Icons
Here is our brief run-down of the history of democracy in the UK
- The Christian Church, well into the 6th Century AD, had its bishops elected by popular acclaim.
- The signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 limited the authority of the powerful.
The first elected parliament met in 1265 when Simon de Montfort introduced the idea that those who hold power are responsible to an electorate – although only landowners only were allowed to vote in English elections. - In 1679 the Habeas Corpus Act was passed, limiting further the powers of the Crown.
- The Act of Union of 1707 united the English and Scottish parliaments.
- The Reform Act of 1832 introduced a uniform franchise in borough seats giving the vote to those who paid more than £10 in rent or rates: an electorate of one in seven men.
- In 1867 the Second Reform Act extended the franchise, enabling virtually all men in urban areas to vote and adding around 1.1 million men to the existing 1.4 million voters.
- In 1872 the National Society for Women’s Suffrage was founded; the same year the secret ballot was introduced.
- The Representation of the People Act of 1918 gave the vote to all women over the age of 30.
- In 1928 the Representation of the People Act gave women the vote on the same terms as men over the age of 21.
- The age limit for voting was reduced to 18 in 1969.
- The Government of Wales Act in 1998 introduced the National Assembly which first met in 1999 and moved into the Senedd on Saint David’s Day 2006.
- In 2006 the Government of Wales Act gave Royal Assent to Wales meaning that from May 2007 the Queen was ‘Her Majesty in Right of Wales’ and would, for the first time, appoint Welsh Ministers and sign Welsh Orders in Council. The Act also made provision for a future referendum to ask the Welsh people if they would like the Welsh Assembly to pass its own, Welsh, laws.
- In 2010 there was an election.
Vote well
- Also on January 9th 2006 this website (Welsh Icons) was setup to provide a free resource for anyone wanting to know more about Wales, the Welsh, the Culture of the Welsh and Welsh History, Geography and much, much more.
- The Welsh Icons news service was launched providing politically-agnostic, impartial news. (2009)
