For the past generation, participation in elections has been declining in Britain and indeed much of the West. The end of the Cold War and the demise of ideological conflict has rendered politics a minority sport, bereft of ideas to inspire the public. While some politicians bemoan our ‘apathy’, there is little doubt that politics itself is blighted by a serious malaise. In this context, and following last year’s MPs’ expenses scandal, it would be all too easy to declare ‘a plague on all their duckhouses’ and boycott the election. But would that mean giving up on democracy?

Arguably, ‘real politics’ has always taken place away from the Westminster Village, but the broad social movements that once gave substance to that claim have perhaps fared even worse than the parties themselves, so what is the alternative to simply putting an X in a box? Some believe that rather than electoral politics or even traditional movements, 21st century politics will take the form of Twitter storms, climate camps and ethical consumerism, but are these really viable means for democratic decision-making? Others argue that real power increasingly lies not at Westminster but in Brussels, so would we do better to campaign for more democracy in Europe, or will we simply find the same problems there on a different scale?

With no obvious alternative channel for our democratic energies, how might we avoid either naïve enthusiasm for voting as an end in itself, or cynical rejection of democracy as a meaningless charade? Some suggest Parliament can be reinvigorated by the introduction of independent MPs free from the party whips and more directly accountable to voters. Would this represent the elevation of principle above tribal loyalties, or rather the depoliticisation of politics? Can we start instead by setting an agenda for a politics that makes a difference, whether we vote or not? Is the election doomed to be a competition between uninspiring politicians, or can we intervene in the name of real politics?

This session will be preceded by a welcome address by Andrew Ritchie, CBE, director, Goodenough College and Claire Fox, Director, Academy of Ideas, panellist, BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze.