Politics, Greed and Authenticity

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Politics often leads to insincerity and at the worst corruption. We have prided ourselves in the UK that we have one of the least corrupt and more sincere political systems in the world. But are we fooling ourselves?

Recent years has undermined our faith in the formal political system. We see politicians as people wearing a mask rather than as authentic individuals and then of course there was the expenses scandal raising questions over what really motivates many politicians.

The expenses scandal is over but has anything really changed after the initial storm?

Is it possible to have a political system where authenticity is valued and where politicians are motivated by ideals rather than power or greed? To help us on this discussion we have two really great speakers who have been in the centre of this debate.

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/6/c/2/event_241890402.jpegHenry Gewanter is a Public relations consultant who helped pass on details of MPs' expenses to the Daily Telegraph and has said it was done for the public good

Henry told the BBC's Newsnight he was "extremely proud" of his actions.he says,

‘I am an American. I was brought up there and I believe that a free Press is the most important and the only defense of our personal freedoms, our liberty and democracy. ‘This Government has been systematically cutting back on our freedoms, our liberty and democracy for some years. That is why I have done it. Also speaking is

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/6/f/4/event_241890452.jpegCharlie Beckett is director of Polis, in the department of media and communications at the London School of Economics. He has 20 years of experience with LWT, BBC and ITN’s Channel 4 News. He broadcasts and writes regularly on media and political affairs and is the author of SuperMedia: Saving Journalism So It Can Save The World (Blackwell, 2008). He teaches at the LSE and LCC. He tweets at @charliebeckett. He publishes a blog and you can read his article - “Political communication in the age of austerity: Unless you can claim genuine authenticity – like UKIP’s Nigel Farage – then you will struggle to convince.”

You can read it here (http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2013/05/18/political-communication-in-the-age-of-austerity-unless-you-can-claim-genuine-authenticity-like-ukips-nigel-farage-then-you-will-struggle-to-convince/)

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