Is the UK really a Democracy?

Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives. Britain is stated as a democracy but when you dig deep into the democratic system, is the UK a true democracy?

The UK is a democracy because everyone, in Britain, over the age of 18 are eligible to vote for the Party they want to run the country in General Elections and they don't have to vote; the choice is theirs. These elections are held every 5 years which makes sure there is a fixed term Parliament. This stops corruption and makes sure the Prime Minister does not have all the power as the people participate in politics. This shows true democracy as the British public also have power as they can join pressure groups, protest and sign petitions if they disagree with the Parties' proposals. They can use their vote to disagree also as they don't have to choose any of the Parties in the Election. The electorate has a voice as they can vote for the MP they want to represent their constituency in the House of Commons; so their views and opinions are being heard in Parliament when laws are made or changed. However the argument to this, is that the public cannot propose the laws and the petitions signed against the Acts are usually ignored by the so called 'interested' Prime Minister.

The UK is democratic as the public has the right to make their own decisions based on politics, as the government does not censor the media or press when it comes to politics (like North Korea does despite it calling itself a democracy). Some would say we aren't a democratic country as we have to pay taxes and obey the law which they would say is not freedom. They are right in a way as why should we have to pay taxes and obey the law if we are free? However, there are many British citizens who don't pay tax or obey the law and get away with it. Taxes help pay for our privileges, such as the NHS and education, and without the law, the country would be running riot.

The UK is not so democratic in situations like coalition governments because, although we can vote for the party to run the country, we don't have a say in who the Prime Minister teams up with, if they don't get an overall majority (remember when David Cameron teamed up with Nick Clegg...).  'Tyranny by the majority' quoted by John Stuart Mill meant that the majority of the country is protected but the minority is not. For example, the people that voted for the Conservatives are considered more than the people that voted for Labour, or the smaller Parties as fewer voted for them; nothing came out of their vote. If the UK wants to be more democratic, the voting system needs to change to be more fair for the smaller Parties. In addition, the UK is not very democratic in regard to referendums because, although people can vote in them, the government has the power to turn down the result, so the vote is a waste of time.

Despite the UK having its democratic flaws, it is far from a dictatorship as the general public of Britain have Human Rights and the freedom to elect who runs the country. If Britain was a dictatorship, we would not have these powers or rights. The UK is a democracy through freely elected representatives.