Democracy Day

Guy Aitchison (London, OK): Apart from these few pics I haven't got much to add to Anthony's report on the Fabian Society Democracy Day conference held yesterday. As you can see there wasn't a great deal of energy and excitement in the room considering the radical, far-reaching conversation called for by Brown only a few months ago. But apparently we missed the best bit of the conference: a "Dragon's Den" style debate on renewing democracy, with David Aaronovitch and Michael Wills MP acting as the dragons. The "best idea", as voted for by delegates, was compulsory voting, which beat an AV+ voting system and a citizens' convention (although to me it seems futile to introduce compulsory voting without electoral reform first). The pic below is of Emily Thornberry MP telling us about her efforts at engaging constituents in Islington South. By this time people had already started sneaking out to find a decent spot in the pubs for the afternoon's sport. I suppose it was a Saturday after all and the political season hasn't really got going, it's just when I think "Democracy Day" I imagine something much grander...