Anthony Barnett (London OK): Where is Charter 88 now its time may have come? Its supporters have just voted to unite with the New Politics Network. It’s a good match. The Charter has paying members, the NPN has an office buildings (in London!). They have been working together for some time under the banner of Unlock Democracy with a joint website– which has been an influential instigator of, and agitator for, the Sustainable Communities Bill (recently adopted by Cameron’s Conservative party). Last month in a postal ballot 33 per cent of Charter 88’s 3,500 odd member voted and came out overwhelmingly (72 per cent) for the merger. Nearly half the NPN’s 400 members voted. And a Mussolini proportion of over 95 per cent agreed. A Charter 88 general meeting in Salford approved the change on the 21st April. Is it all too late, don't we need to hear from them now? A working group from the two organisations is drafting a new constitution for the organisation to be approved in November. Before then there will be a ballot on a new name. Leading contenders are Charter88 and Unlock Democracy. The latter seems to be the favorite. The difference? Charter 88 called for a written constitution Unlock Democracy calls for a citizens constitutional convention (somewhat like the Power Inquiry’s MakeItAnIssue).
Declaration of interest: With Stuart Weir, I was the co-founder of Charter 88 and its first director. I voted for the merger as an ordinary member.
