Notes On Now

When the Ideas of Modern Democracy Were Born

England is not famous for being the birthplace of modern representative democracy. For the good reason that it isn’t.

Instead, it was here that the quasi-democracy of the domination of free property began. It was a force that ended the arbitrary despotism of absolute monarchy – by severing the head of the King. Yet it also ensured the defeat of democratic republicanism.

But this also means it was in England that the ideals of modern representative democracy – with rights, liberty and self-government – were first articulated and demanded constitutional primacy, before being strangled at birth.

The most exhilarating epicentre of this clash was the Putney Debates in October 1647 of the General Council of the Officers of the revolutionary army, held at St Mary’s Church, Putney, on the then outskirts of London.