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Susan Deacon's interest in politics stretches as far back as she
can remember. "I think they'll identify a gene one day!" she
laughs. Influenced by her father, although not party
political, she grew up believing change was possible: "I've always
had a strong sense of seeing things that made me angry … the
potential of making things better and wanting to do something about
it". She joined the Labour Party aged 17, soon after Mrs Thatcher
became Prime Minister. "That was a real defining period for us as
individuals and for the country as a whole" she says; "there was a
big sense that a lot of things people had fought long and hard for
were under threat".
The individualism of the Thatcher years has left an indelible
impression on Deacon's politics and, while she sees progress, she
admits there is still a long way to go to build a "modern
manifestation of collectivism within families and
communities". She stresses this doesn't mean turning the clock
back, but finding new ways of working with changes in society -
such as greater numbers of lone parent families, families where
both parents work, fewer extended family networks. "People lead
much more individualistic lifestyles rather than going out to the
back green together, blethering", she reflects. Working in public
services has given her a conviction that they should be "rooted" in
a certain "ethos and values", not simply viewed in managerial
terms.
Apartheid formed a backdrop to developing her political beliefs
and addressing injustice still underpins her politics. Nelson
Mandela is a one of her heroes, and she regards as "nonsense" our
politicians being considered as doing things that are brave. "Brave
politicians are people like Mandela who have put their life and
their freedom on the line - in his case for 26 years - because he
believed in something," she says; "if we applied a minuscule bit of
that commitment, passion and principle in our politics we could go
a long way towards re-engaging people". The late Labour cabinet
minister Barbara Castle, she admires for "until her dying day …
calling a spade a shovel and taking the establishment to task". The
former SDLP leader John Hume is an inspiration for helping bring
about the Northern Ireland peace process "often at enormous
personal risk to him and his family, out of an innate belief that
it was the right thing to do".
The discussion turns to "new politics" where the committees are
frequently cited as being the best part of co-operative working.
"Yes, there are some very good examples of that" she acknowledges,
but "the last four years is littered with examples, of politicians
within committees reverting to type". She notes that all sorts of
pressures - both within political parties and outside - heighten
adversarialism in Scottish politics; "there are still people
wanting to score capital at one another's expense". Her message
seems to be that progress has been made, but "let's not get carried
away".
She rejects notions of widespread apathy among the electorate,
declaring; "I do not believe that just because people don't vote
they don't care". The fact that so few turned out at the polls, she
believes, reflects more abstention than apathy. She points to
declining voter turnout across Western democracies and the myth of
a "halcyon era where people all went to the polls". The MSP for
Edinburgh East sees Scotland - with its new institutions and
emerging multi-party system - as uniquely placed to re-engage
people with politics. Rather than interacting directly with
parliamentary processes most people simply want a parliament that
is relevant to them and MSPs who are accessible both in the way
they work and the language they use.
Sitting through a parliamentary committee meeting is not a
priority for most people, she acknowledges. People should expect to
see their MSP working with them in their communities, and to access
them on issues that affect them - whether it's benefit problems,
getting their child an operation, or setting up a local food co-op
or tenants group. "The challenge is for us to spend less time
working with civic society in terms of us talking to each other and
more time working with organisations like Civic Forum, the churches
and others in thinking about how we collectively turn outwards more
and make the process more relevant to a wider range of people" she
says; "but let's not substitute process for practice".
The way that young people in particular, engaged with the issue
of war in Iraq - which Deacon spoke out against - strikes her as
encouraging, as does the interest in issues such as the
environment. She views it as the responsibility of politicians to
engage openly with the anxieties and dilemmas that young people
have and "not just to fob them off with what frankly smacks often
of just being the stock response and soundbite of the party
line".
While no longer an active churchgoer or a "particularly
religious person", she sees a vital role for the church in building
a fairer Scotland. "The value base of the major faiths is very
sound - we could do with that anchored in our politics" she says,
reflecting on the "enormously influential role" of the church in
speaking out in defence of disadvantaged communities during the
1980s. An opportunity exists, she believes, to stimulate debate on
issues that the confines of political parties make difficult to
address. "We'll not always be in agreement but it's another
positive stimulus", she adds.
When asked why she's supporting Labour colleague Jackie
Baillie"s proposed Bill to reform charity law, she seems surprised
by the media attention generated. Communities Minister Margaret
Curran has promised an Executive Bill to address the issue, yet
Baillie - Curran's predecessor in the then Social Justice portfolio
- has lodged her own backbench proposals. Deacon rejects the idea
that the move marks some form of challenge to the Executive: "it's
more a matter of when rather than if … so if the
Executive can make progress better or faster, that's fine", she
insists.
Parenthood has changed Deacon greatly and she makes no apologies
about her two children being the most important thing in her life.
The influence is felt most keenly on family and community issues.
Alongside addressing services, Deacon argues, it's equally
important to address how parents and families are supported and how
we make our youngsters feel valued. "When you see these wee bundles
and you realise how early in life they start to be shaped - it's
terrifying how much you say and do influences their development
from a very early stage … the world of parenthood changes your
outlook immeasurably".
"I would like us to have more of a people and human focus …
modern politics has become bound up in technospeak" adds the former
Health Minister. Economic growth is important, she acknowledges,
but people working in their communities, and caring for children or
elderly parents contribute as much to the health and wellbeing of
our society - and even our economy. She regrets how society
measures people in terms of male success patterns - "what rung of
the ladder are you on, what's your salary, where do you live, what
qualifications have you got" - advocating a rethink of some of the
excesses of consumerism and the long hours work culture. "I suppose
my vision is a Scotland that is fair and more just and places more
value on people" she says. "We could probably do with a few less
Nike trainers and Sony playstations and a few more cuddles."