Nottingham and Robin Hood: A Timely Tale

The sun was shining on a glorious day when the Operation Black Voter Registration bus, gleaming and resplendent in its vibrant orange splendor rolled into Nottingham.

(photos reproduced with the kind permissionof Paul Boast)

The Old market square in Nottingham is probably one of the nicest piazza style public squares in Britain. With water fountains and seating areas the square is framed by the hugely impressive Town Hall that towers over one end of the square, like a sentinel imposing both authority and order. Built in mock Roman style its huge columns stand resolutely on guard, protecting this impressive public space.

It was particularly appropriate that in this, the year of the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the OBV voter registration battle bus came to Nottingham the home of Robin Hood.

This tale of Robin and his band of merry men is one of the most enduring aspects of English medieval mythology. Robbing the rich to feed the poor, and challenging the despotic authority of King John makes Robin Hood one of our most enduring and popular folklore figures.

The ensuing insurrections against the King led directly to the creation of the Magna Carta and therefore Nottingham can lay claim, alongside Runnymede, as the true birthplace of modern British democracy.

The OBV bus was an instant magnet as it sat proudly in the square. We registered lots of people and gave away thousands of leaflets, but there was also profound disaffection.

This underlying anger and cynicism has become a feature of our national tour, it’s almost become a cultural trait, and is in danger of becoming part of our democratic culture.

In Nottingham the message we get from the public is one of profound cynicism and distrust of politicians. Time and time again we hear the same refrain whether in Manchester, London, Wolverhampton, Nottingham: there is profound disaffection and anger with Westminster politics.

It’s the most striking aspect of our tour so far and one that poses a most serious and grave threat to our country. Alienation and disengagement from democracy can create dangerous spaces for extremist to exploit.

As we approach what will be the closest fought election in years hopefully we can encourage more people to register, and turn out to vote. The honest truth is that, as at the last election in 2010, this election will see the majority of British people refusing to register and refusing to vote.

But we should be clear, they’re not disinterested in politics, they are cynical about the process and people, but they are passionate for change.

If one has Rolls Royce and employs a bad driver who constantly crashes the car, you sack the driver, not sell the car. Any incoming government will have to urgently tackle the issue of constitutional and democratic reform if Britain is not to become the weakest democracy, in terms of popular support, of any nation in Europe.

Long live the spirit of Robin Hood and Nottingham

Lee Jasper