According to this mornings BBC Sussex news James Page who has served for 2 years as leader of Lewes District Council referred to “The stench of tribalism in politics” as part of his reason for stepping down from his post. His resignation is not itself news. He was interviewed in the Argus on 1st December 2013 and at that time he referred only to his desire to spend more time with his family and at his business as the reasons for his departure. Most of us feel obliged to accept that our representatives as Councillors, MPs, MEPs and even Police and Crime Commissioners will be elected through a Party Political system, irrespective of how much affinity we feel for any of the parties on offer or the personal qualities of those selected. There are inevitably situations where we are faced with a candidate whose personal qualities are less than we had hoped for, but whose rosette is a colour we are used to supporting. Some of us would struggle to vote for a different party, even where the candidate is of excellent virtue. This appears to be one of the challenges of democracy, but it doesn’t need to be the case. In Lewes there are several people who have stood and in one case been elected as Independent Councillors. Ruth O’Keefe who is Mayor of Lewes Town Council this year is also a District and County Councillor. Across the country as a whole there are more Independent Councillors than there are UKIP Councillors, but this is rarely referred to by broadcasters and newspapers.

I cannot begin to imagine the extent of the challenges faced by James Page, the degree to which his own party made unreasonable demands on him as Party Leader despite his own instincts or the degree to which other parties placed obstacles in the way of the undoubted good work he attempted to carry out on behalf of the residents of Lewes District, primarily because they felt it was their duty towards the Party they represent. Around 50 years ago when about 10% of the population were members of one political party or another and presumably many more times that number were strongly disposed towards one or other party, this tribal identity was something that many people shared. However in 2014 with only 1% of the population actually being members of a party, even if ten times as many have an affinity to the parties, those who act in a way that leads people like James to make the comments he has will be a great deal more objectionable to the rest of us.

This afternoon a few miles away from Lewes, the 54 Councillors in Brighton & Hove will attempt to set a budget that has the potential to cut off funding to a great many organisations in the City that deliver significant benefits for a very modest investment. As damaging as this sort of action is, the bigger concern is that it is tribal politics that is preventing these 54 elected people from making the right decision for the residents that all of them claim to represent. Perhaps this toxic stench can be smelt all over our nation? Perhaps we need a new approach to democracy that has a sweeter smell?