Technocracy

A technocracy is a state rule by a technocratic elite, the best example of a technocracy is the EU where the commission is a house of technocratic entrusted with the technical and diplomatic functions of the union. Technocrats are chosen (by other technocrats) not because they are popular or even democratic but because of their technical expertise. In the EU case this is mostly legal or industrial.
It is important here to differentiate the commission from the House of Lords or other second houses where some technocrats may sit. The House of Lords for all its floors does take once elected member into its body in order that they may serve a semi democratic purpose.

I say all of this merely to make a point we do not live in a technocracy but we are in danger of doing so. From Tony Blair onward both the labour party and the Tory party have elected technocrats as leaders (even the lib-dems did this with Clegg). Men who have no track record of party politics and who have served parliament as unelected technocratic supports to actual politicians.

The party serve the technocratic creed, they manage rather than lead, they talk instead of acting and above all the parties seek power rather than to serve some higher aim. Indeed there is something terrible technocratic about the middle ground as it hold no truck with extremes of passion or love for the complexity and peculiarity of the human species and seeks only dull inhuman stability.

This may seem like sour grapes. I have always voted against the technocratic rule of ex special advisors and I have always lost but it is a genuine concern that though we are not the EU commission yet are parliament is stocked up with technocracies aka professional politicians. People whose skill is electoral and nothing more.
I am reminded of Burke the age of duty, honour and glory have ended and the age of the beaucrarte, financier and professional has dawned. Weep now brothers for the age of belief of ideas of anything beyond statistical at arm’s length governance has come and the age of the speechmaker, rabble rousers and believers has passed.