Political parties, or at least the three principal parties currently represented in Parliament, are currently inspiring a blend of cynicism, criticism and apathy among the electorate.

They have increasingly been seen as both lacking in the capacity to meet the challenges facing Britain and undemocratic in their tendency to rely on spin, over-the-top discipline via the party whips, being constantly ‘on message' and indulging in vacuous political posturing in parliamentary debates and Prime Minister's question time.