Gavin Barker

Gavin Barker is a Fellow for the Centre for Welfare Reform and campaigns for a citizens convention on a written constitution.

Convening a citizens panel in Penzance: 10 things I learned

“How can we as a community come together to address high housing costs, low paid insecure work, eviction and homelessness?”

By Gavin Barker

/ 22 Jan 2020

Convening a citizens panel in Penzance: 10 things I learned

A new constitution for the UK needs ‘rights of nature’ at its heart

Human rights are well established in constitutional and international law. But in the face of dangerous climate change and ecosystem collapse, do we need ‘rights of nature’?

By Gavin Barker

/ 28 Mar 2019

A new constitution for the UK needs ‘rights of nature’ at its heart

A Local Constituency Pact: grassroots manifesto for strong local democracy

We must define the rules and principles by which power is exercised. With the constitutional crisis brought about by Brexit, we may be nearer to that moment than we think.

By Gavin Barker

/ 26 Jan 2019

Brexit means…progressive alliances, or ‘corporate absolutism’?

The ‘Leave’ vote, however manipulated by the media, was not just a rejection of Brussels technocracy but of the political status quo at Westminster. It’s time to rewrite the constitutional and political rules from scratch.

By Gavin Barker

/ 21 Sep 2017

Democracy needs informed debate: how do we get it?

Democracy requires informed debate. Gavin Barker sets out a proposal for how Assemblies for Democracy and other citizen groups can help to improve citizens' access to high quality information.

By Gavin Barker

/ 19 Aug 2015

Holding MPs to account: a Truro experiment

To hold our MPs to account we need to know what they promised to do before they were elected. We also need to have a clearer sense of what we expect them to do. How can we achieve these aims?

By Gavin Barker

/ 26 Mar 2015

Localism and the web: a new era for England's democracy?

Local English democracy may look endangered, but new technologies are revolutionising the way we perceive our communities and take collective decisions.

By Gavin Barker

/ 10 Feb 2012