Llywydd, we've lost all sense of excitement about democracy. It has become the insipid background to our daily life rather than the force that actually makes our lifestyles possible. One should not become maudlin; open, democratic societies are capable of remarkable renewal, as we have seen in the last 25 years on questions of, for example, sexuality. Yet in the political and economic fields, things look far more jaded and this can only undermine democratic culture generally.

Greater citizen participation is needed because the work of democracy cannot be merely sub-contracted to Assemblies and Parliaments. The digital age creates both a strong demand for greater participation and the technological means to achieve it, but we have been slow to respond to this demand for citizen participation. One consequence is that political elites have been viewed more as a gentry class than the appointed officers of the people. We need a new partnership that closes the stark divide we often see between politicians and citizens.