On the marketing forum on the LinkedIn site, I was challenged about my comments on the erosion of democracy in the UK - see my earlier comments in this blog.  To see the debate go to: www.linkedin.com

My critic said:

Is this a marketing or political debate? Surely we should begin by debating if your initial ascertation is actually correct, because I don't feel that my democratic rights are being revoked.

Imposed changes just require greater creativity and intiative, bringing fresh ideas, which can only be a good thing.

People still have the choice to support whichever products, services and campaigns they prefer. Isn't that where the democracy in Marketing remains?

My response was:

Of course this is a marketing debate. Marketing can only work in a social democracy with free competition. Marketers are proponents of free choice, effective communications, sound information, corporate accountability and universal freedom of choice.

On your second point about my assertion, click on my link to see the case. http://www.issuesmanagers.com/blog_details.asp?blog_id=81&pg=1

If you do not think your democratic rights are being eroded, then tell me who elects the European commissioners who create and control so much of our law, including those that affect marketing? Why does the European parliament not control the European Commission? Why does European law take precedence over UK law? Closer to home, who is your MEP? Why do we no longer have constituency MEPs?

Why are there so few free votes in our own parliament? Why can the police obtain your DNA simply by arresting you without any legal process? How can they demand your name and address (which you do not legally have to give) but such a failure can be grounds for arrest? How is your freedom affected by your DNA being on a register that means you can detained, or your movements restricted, simply by a check on a computer, even when you have not been charged with, let alone found guilty of, any offence?

And in your community, are your local police, fire, ambulance and health services still accountable to you locally? Why do government policies now encourage the police to give misleading information on crime statistics? Where can you vote on key issues affecting these services? Where is your regonal council based, run by the unelected cronies of who-knows-who, most of whom do not live in your area yet are deciding what happens where you live, over which you have no control and no voice? Why is government policy likely to take away your district councils?

Is this enough for us to be concerned about? You must be living in a different world to the one I see?
Roger Haywood