Peter Facey (London, Unlock Democracy): At a joint general meeting last Saturday, the final stages of the merger between Charter 88 and the New Politics Network saw the formal birth of Unlock Democracy as an organisation in its own right. The name Unlock Democracy was chosen by our members and supporters in a two-stage ballot where it was the most popular result at both the consultative stage (26%) and the final ballot stage (81%).
This is the culmination of four years work by both boards and our staff team. The process has not just be driven by hard headed economics (combined, we enjoy much greater economies of scale), but by a shared belief that Britain needs to be more democratic, that political power is too concentrated at the centre, that many of our political institutions are out date and not for fit for purpose and that our hard won freedoms are under threat. Ultimately that our country needs a new constitutional settlement that entrenches our rights and restricts the power of government.
More so than ever, democratic reform is a cross-party issue. When Charter 88 was formed, the noises for change were almost exclusively coming from the left (although it shouldn't be forgotten that many Conservatives were in favour of electoral reform in the 70s). This has now totally changed, with many on the right embracing ideas of popular sovereignty and the need for localism. At the same time, the piecemeal reforms of the last decade have lead to a much more complex and nuanced debate. As such, Unlock Democracy will be about thinking as well as campaigning and work to build alliances with people from across the political spectrum while sticking firm to its own principles.
If you aren't already a member, now is an exciting time to get involved. We will be sending out a survey to all members soon which will inform our work for the next couple of years.
