The result of February’s Italian general election was an indictment of the countries politics between 2008 and 2013. Citizens who had once voted for Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia now longed for an end to corruption, scandal and paternalism. While the governance of Mario Monti, who in his tenure introduced European Union mandated policies of austerity, was rejected outright. In stark contrast Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement presented themselves as a party that relied on, and listened to its grassroots. They offered an alternative to the mainstream political party, one where people had a voice within the party structure. As a result the Five Star Movement gained an impressive 23.8% of the vote, proving that activist led political parties are viable options for the future.

This rejection of the mainstream is not specifically localized to Italy. The UK Independence Party, Golden Dawn and the Tea Party are all manifestations of a desire from marginalised voices to be heard. Yet to varying degrees, these parties have all fallen back on the same organizational structures that exist within the established political party. UKIP for example do not offer their grass roots activist’s a greater say in policy formation than the Conservative party, while the Tea Party are no less indebted to big business than the Republicans. This means that these so called parties of protest offer very little opportunity for ordinary people to influence policy. Instead they offer the illusion of political empowerment through dated visions of an insular utopia. They go to the extremes of populism and blame the isolation and disillusionment of the people on forces that are easily prejudiced, like migrants or asylum seekers.

Without greater equality within the party structure, policy will never reflect society. This is why the Five Star Movement has been so important. Instead of pandering to news barons and giving corporate elites a large say on policy, they have allowed their grass roots supporters to become the basis of their decision making. Five Star have done this by engaging with young, often unemployed people, through mediums and ideas that they can empaphise with, allowing them to become active participants rather than passive followers. This has meant that they have been able to empower whole sections of society that have been forgotten or ignored by the mainstream.

Such action is not revelatory. In fact this is how many of the left leaning mainstream parties began. Yet the fact that listening to and reflecting the needs of the voiceless majority seems like such a step indicates that the traditionally working class parties have moved away from their roots. These parties must now think about reversing their move towards the vertical, the managerialist and the top down. By creating their own versions of Five Stars activist led party structure, they would not be seen as beholden to corporate interests, nor would they be viewed as a party with a firm hierarchy. Instead they would be seen as malleable, where the interests, concerns and views of ordinary members shape the party.

Britain has not yet found it’s own Beppe Grillo. This may be because the country is in a state of limbo. People feel separate from the political machinations of Westminster, yet the only party taking advantage of this are the populist right wing UKIP. The Labour Party has the lost its traditional affinity with the working class. Their national structure continues to be defined by the Blairite model of centralism, while their conferences and events are dominated by trade unions and established party figures. At a local level though, there is hope for Labour. Ed Miliband’s decision to employ Arnie Graf has shown that there is a will to create a more inclusive politics that appeals to a diverse array of the populace. While the Falkirk scandal has increased the likelihood of greater democratic accountability within local party processes, through the introduction of open primaries and a closer relationship with trade unionists, not trade unions. This is why local Labour groups are gradually becoming less about stuffy meetings in old church halls and more about community activism. If this could be transferred to the national stage, then Labour could start to embody the spirit of the Five Star Movement, where the grass roots are seen as leaders rather than followers. This has not happened yet, but if it is to occur this new found trust in local groups would play a key part in ensuring that empowerment becomes as, or even more important than corporate and media allies.