Politics for the Many

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Irvine
2024-05-23 20:30 - 22:30 (Europe/London)
‘Behold Ye Ramblers’ is the story of the beginnings of the struggle for the right to roam freely across open moors on ancient paths and enjoy the benefits of outdoor activities and pursuits. It’s a history based in the Clarion movement that in the 1890s onwards encouraged and celebrated healthy community activity such as cycling, music and choral singing, drama groups, handicrafts, whilst collectively building Clarion Houses as rural community centres to enable people to escape the daily grind of work and cramped city living. There are active Clarion Cycling Clubs and Choirs to this day!
This is a highly entertaining celebration through Music Hall, poetry and song of the birth of The Clarion newspaper and the movement that grew in its name; of its founder Robert Blatchford and his self-styled journalism influenced by William Morris and Edward Carpenter; of his ability to convert hundreds of thousands to his collective vision, including some of the richest in society, such as the Countess of Warwick; and of the heroic working class disciples such as GHB Ward and his fellow activists from the Sheffield Clarion Ramblers that campaigned and trespassed for public access across Derbyshire’s moorlands.
Find out how this happened, who fought for our Right to Roam and be entertained at the same time.
A show for all to see and to be determined to be able to walk alone and with others!

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Whitehaven
2024-05-22 20:30 - 22:30

Our Generation. Our Vote. Introduction and Q&A Webinar
2024-05-22 17:00 - 18:00
Join our webinar to hear more about Our Generation. Our Vote.
Our Generation. Our Vote. is a free political education project and mass-scale election for young people under 18 in England and Wales, running in the lead up to the next UK general election.
Organisations from the coalition will present the project, followed by an open Q&A.
This meeting is open to anyone who has an interest in the project, in particular teachers and youth workers or leaders who would like the young people they work with to participate. Whether your questions are about how to register, what the educational resources will include, or how the votes will be counted, this is the place to have them answered.
Please note that whilst the project will be available in English and Welsh, this presentation and Q&A will be in English only.
We look forward to seeing you.

The anti-corruption capital of the world?
2024-05-21 13:30 - 19:30
This spring, IPPR will host a major conference on combating transnational kleptocracy
The UK has made considerable progress on tackling economic crime and illicit finance since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. This conference will ask how to build on those developments to ramp up the fight against kleptocracy, including ideas to better detect, investigate and prosecute money laundering. The UK’s nodal position in transnational kleptocracy means it is in a position to strike the biggest blow to this corrosive trade.
We’ll discuss what a commensurate and coordinated strategy against kleptocracy would entail, and explore several themes, including:

Corporate and capital flow transparency
British Overseas Territories and offshore finance
Reputation laundering and political influence
Regulation in key industries (private investment, real estate, arts trade)
Co-ordinating with democratic allies

Speakers:

Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP
Oliver Bullough, journalist and author
Duncan Hames, Director of Policy and Programmes, Transparency International UK
Carys Roberts, Executive Director, IPPR
Parth Patel, Senior Research Fellow, IPPR
Other speakers to be announced

Full programme to be announced. The event will conclude with a networking reception between 17:30-18:30.
Places are limited and registration is required to attend. Please register using the link on the right-hand side of the page.
For more information, please contact Olivia Vaughan.

AI & Democracy Webinar Series - Full Fact: Trust And Truth In The Age Of AI
2024-05-21 13:00 - 14:00
We all deserve information we can trust.
​The UK Democracy Network in collaboration with ANTIPARTY are pleased to present the next in our series of AI & Democracy Webinars – with Chris Morris, CEO of Full Fact.
​Full Fact is a team of independent fact checkers and campaigners who find, expose and counter the harm caused by bad information.
​Full Fact fights for the right information to reach the people who need it most, whether that’s individuals making decisions about their health or who to vote for; or politicians debating the future of our country.
​Full Fact are now developing world-leading technology and new research to spot repeated claims, and find out how bad information can be tackled at a global scale.
​We look forward to discussing these issues and more at our webinar on the 25th of April. Hope to see you there!
​Chris joined Full Fact in October 2023; prior to this he was the BBC’s first dedicated fact checker on air and online, pioneering fact checking on mainstream outlets through his development and leadership of BBC Reality Check. His work covered two general elections, post-Brexit politics, the US Presidential election, the pandemic, and the climate crisis.
​Before launching Reality Check, Chris spent more than two decades as a senior correspondent, winning awards and interacting with government and business leaders around the world on a daily basis.
​Find out more about the work of Full Fact.
​​Democracy Network are a network of people and organisations working on issues of power, democracy and voice throughout the UK. We aim to connect and work with others to build a stronger democracy fit for the 21st century. We do this through connecting people and supporting collaboration, increasing knowledge, skills and resources, and coordinating influencing strategies and action. Join the network here
​​If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us an email at hello@democracynetwork.org.uk.

Wales TUC Congress
2024-05-21 - 2024-05-24
Join us in Llandudno as we celebrate 50 years of the Wales TUC.
Wales TUC Congress takes place at Venue Cymru, Llandudno on 21 – 23 May 2024.
The Voice of Wales at Work
The Wales TUC exists to improve the economic and social conditions of workers in Wales, regardless of if they are currently in a job or not.
Its mandate and purpose builds on the role of its individual affiliated trade unions. Workers join trade unions to represent their interests, and these unions affiliated to the Wales TUC to establish a shared agenda, agreed democratically at a Congress held every two
years and managed by the General Council which meets four times a year.
Around 400,000 people are trade union members in Wales. The vast majority of these people are members of trade unions which are affiliated to the Wales TUC
Our Congress will bring together industry leaders, experts, and enthusiasts to share knowledge, network, and celebrate the accomplishments of our organisation. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are committed to creating an unforgettable experience for delegates, and attendees.
To attend please contact wtuc@tuc.org.uk

Vulture Capitalism - Grace Blakeley & Jeremy Corbyn In Conversation
2024-05-20 19:30 - 21:00
Grace & Jeremy will talk about her new book & why “Everything you know about capitalism is wrong.”
Grace Blakeley & Jeremy Corbyn will talk about her new book Vulture Capitalism – the book you need to understand what is happening in the world around you – and what you can do to change it. (Order the book & info here.) Join us for this very special event!
In Vulture Capitalism, acclaimed journalist Grace Blakeley takes on the world’s most powerful corporations by showing how the causes of our modern crisis are the intended result of our capitalist system. It’s not broken, it’s working exactly as planned.
As Ha-Joon Chang says, ‘Read this book if you want to make fundamental changes to the world.’
Hosted by Arise – A Festival of Left Ideas. Free event but donations essential to streaming & hosting costs.

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Poole
2024-05-18 21:00 - 22:30

Stall at Levellers Day, Burford, Oxfordshire
2024-05-18 11:30 - 17:00
Just turn up and find us at the table with MVM stuff! No booking needed.
See https://www.facebook.com/levellersday/ for more details.
This year’s theme is DEMOCRACY. There will be speakers, a march through the town with banners, wreath laying for the 3 felled Levellers in 1649 and stalls, food etc through the day.

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Crediton
2024-05-17 20:30 - 22:30

International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
2024-05-17 - 2024-05-18
Unite is proud to recognise International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on 17 May. Known as IDAHOBIT for short, this date was chosen as it commemorates the date of the decision to remove homosexuality from classification as a mental illness by the World Health Organisation in 1990. The main purpose of IDAHOBIT is to raise awareness of ongoing discrimination, violence and persecution of LGBT+ people across the world.
Research by Stonewall, the national LGBT charity found that one in five LGBT people have experienced a hate crime because of their sexual orientation in the past year and over half of trans people have been subjected to a hate crime due to their gender identity.
Around a quarter of LGBT people avoid some streets due to safety concerns and 13 per cent have been discriminated against in a bar, restaurant or club venue. Trans people in particular still experience appalling levels of abuse on social media and are on the receiving end of misinformation and direct attacks from TV and print media.
That’s why Unite Equalities continues to work hard to campaign for more inclusive workplaces and safer communities for LGBT+ people across the country. We’re particularly keen for more LGBT+ Unite members to get involved, contact your regional equalities officer for further information.

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Dorchester
2024-05-16 20:30 - 22:30

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Cotswolds
2024-05-15 20:30 - 22:30

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Bristol
2024-05-14 20:30 - 22:30

ASK HER: 1:1 TIME WITH THE ELECT HER TEAM
2024-05-13 19:00 - 2024-05-14 20:00
We love speaking directly to you, the women in our community!
It really helps us to understand how we can best support you on your journey to elected office, what you need and how the work of Elect Her can adapt in response to your needs.
We want to offer the opportunity to women in our community to book in specific 1:1 time with us, to talk, ask questions and catch up with the Elect Her Team. We are putting aside times across three days each month to have a chat and a blether.
We want to give you the personal space and time you need, to ask us anything about your journey to elected office so we can signpost you directly to resources and opportunities that we and our partners have in place. Do you have questions you’d like to ask about how to get started, what support the political parties have in place, questions about funding or just a general catch up about where you are and where you’d like to be? These 1:1 appointments are the perfect place to ask! If we can help we will, and if not we can refer you to other organisations! There is a whole host of support out there and sometimes you just need a nudge to access it.
We are available for 20 minute slots throughout Monday 13th May and Tuesday 14th May.
Book in some time with us!
If you find all the slots are fully booked, don’t worry – we run these sessions in the last week of every month.
Please only book an appointment if you know you are able to attend. We have limited spaces and often they book out very quickly. If you book an appointment but something else comes up, just email us to let us know so we can offer it to other women in our community.

Click here to book your 1:1 session

Organising to Win Guides – Webinar
2024-05-13 13:00 - 13:45
UNISON has recently released a brand new suite of Organising to Win guides. All written and produced in-house, these guides are based on our collective experience of effective organising tools and techniques.
This 45-minute webinar will take you through these new guides, from the 5-Phase Plan to Win, impact assessment, and workplace mapping, to having organising conversations and organising workplace leaders, and more.
With guest speaker Kevin Lucas, Head of UNISON’s national Strategic Organising Unit.
PLEASE NOTE: This Webinar is for UNISON Staff & Activists only.

Festival of Learning
2024-05-13 - 2024-05-20
Festival of Learning (previously Adult Learners Week) is an opportunity to celebrate, promote and advance all forms of adult learning.
Usdaw’s support and participation in the event has increased year on year and the event is a tribute to the imagination and dedication of the learning teams across the divisions. From week long events to one-off tasters, Usdaw Union Learning Reps (ULRs) put on a breathtaking range of events for members across the country.
From apprenticeships and job swaps to British Sign Language and healthy feet sessions, there’s something for everyone.
Some regions co-ordinate their activity around key themes such as the Six Book Challenge or NVQs and apprenticeships. Others promote specific courses such as British Sign Language and English and Maths. Several link in with regional campaigns such as Check Out Learning and promoting Usdaw’s legal services.
Activity covers the full spectrum of workplaces from large distribution centres to small retail stores. Larger workplaces with a long history of organising learning might run a series of events spread over several days. Smaller workplaces just starting out may run surveys or recruitment for specific courses.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024
2024-05-13 - 2024-05-20
Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from Monday 13 – Sunday 19 May 2024. The theme, as set by the Mental Health Foundation, is “Movement: moving for our mental health.” This year, we want you to move your way by finding something that moves your body and mind.

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - York
2024-05-12 20:30 - 22:30

MVM Street Stall - West Yorkshire
2024-05-11 12:00 - 13:30
Meet Halifax town centre, behind the Duke of Wellington’s regiment memorial at the junction of market street & Woolshops.

Campaign update: election round-up - online
2024-05-08 19:00 - 20:00
Save the date for this debrief from the 2024 local elections.

CWU Conference
2024-04-21 - 2024-04-26
Conference is being held at the BIC in Bournemouth from Sunday 21st – Thursday 25th April 2024.

Combating transnational kleptocracy - Westminster
2024-04-21 - 2024-04-22
This spring, IPPR will host a major conference on combating transnational kleptocracy.
This conference will consider, working with counterparts in the US and EU, what a commensurate and coordinated strategy against kleptocracy would entail. We will explore several themes, including:

Corporate and capital flow transparency
British Overseas Territories and offshore finance
Reputation laundering and political influence
Regulation in key industries (private investment, real estate, arts trade)
Co-ordinating with democratic allies

Registration for this event will open soon.
For more information, please contact Olivia Vaughan.

Professor Rob Ford presents the trade union case for electoral reform
2024-04-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Do you feel fully informed on the debate around voting reform? Major unions like Unite and Unison have passed motions in support of reform in recent years, as has Labour party conference – but what would it mean for your rights in the workplace?
We want you to have the facts to hand when the debate arises. So, we’ve organised a free online talk with Rob Ford, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester. Rob is a leading expert on public opinion, elections and the radical right.
History shows that even when the Labour Party wins an overall majority, any improvements in trade union rights are quickly reversed by subsequent Tory governments.
Join us to hear how proportional representation can help ensure trade unions and working people keep a seat at the table and hold on to any new rights that they win from a Labour government.
We hope you can join us
Reserve your free ticket

Organise 24 - Derby
2024-04-12 12:00 - 17:00
Join trade union organisers and reps from across the region as we discuss how we think strategically to build union membership and density.
Hear from national trade union speakers about the challenge facing the movement as well as some of the tools available to support union organising.
The conference will also hear from Labour about the aspects of their New Deal that will help remove some of the existing barriers we face in organising.
The conference will hold a series of workshops looking at
* Private sector: How do we target sectors and resources to win.
This workshop will hear from both GMB Coventry Amazon reps about their inspirational organising campaign to secure a union at Amazon and Unite organisers and reps about their long and ultimately successful battel for recognition at DHL East Midlands Airport
* Public Sector: How do we get back above 50% density
This workshop will hear from Unison organisers and reps about how they’ve built union membership and activism amongst outsourced NHS workers in response to a refusal to honour the national pay award in full.
* Diversifying our reps base
This workshop will explore how we support and encourage black members to take on leadership roles within our unions to ensure that all our structures look and reflect our true membership. The discussion will be led by the TUC’s Building BAME Networks project officer, Rebecca Sixsmith-Hughes, and participants from current Black Activist programmes.
The day will conclude with a plenary session and a presentation on how the TUC’s Solidarity Hub can support unions in their organising activity.

ASK HER: 1:1 time with the Elect Her team - online
2024-03-25 - 2024-03-27
We love speaking directly to you, the women in our community!
It really helps us to understand how we can best support you on your journey to elected office, what you need and how the work of Elect Her can adapt in response to your needs.
We want to offer the opportunity to women in our community to book in specific 1:1 time with us, to talk, ask questions and catch up with the Elect Her Team. We are putting aside times across three days each month to have a chat and a blether.
We want to give you the personal space and time you need, to ask us anything about your journey to elected office so we can signpost you directly to resources and opportunities that we and our partners have in place. Do you have questions you’d like to ask about how to get started, what support the political parties have in place, questions about funding or just a general catch up about where you are and where you’d like to be? These 1:1 appointments are the perfect place to ask! If we can help we will, and if not we can refer you to other organisations! There is a whole host of support out there and sometimes you just need a nudge to access it.
We are available for 20 minute slots throughout Monday 25th March and Wednesday 27th March.
Book in some time with us!
If you find all the slots are fully booked, don’t worry – we run these sessions in the last week of every month.
Please only book an appointment if you know you are able to attend. We have limited spaces and often they book out very quickly. If you book an appointment but something else comes up, just email us to let us know so we can offer it to other women in our community.

2024 Mary Macarthur Lecture - Oldbury
2024-03-22
eserve your place at this year’s Mary Macarthur Lecture and hear from the new PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote.
The Mary Macarthur Lecture is an opportunity for leading women to outline the challenges they see facing women in the world of work and wider society today and how we respond to these challenges to deliver a fairer, more equal and progressive future.
As we continue to suffer an assault on living standards, the erosion of public services and a threat to our right to strike, this year’s lecture is timely.
Join us to discuss how we build a fairer, more progressive society.

Councillors' Coffee Time
2024-03-21
Out with the old boys’ networks, we’re here to build new support for women in local politics.
We are inviting all women serving as councillors to switch off from regular work for an hour to come together with women across the political parties and share what’s going on for you and gain the support you need.
For women to be able to participate, progress and stay in local politics, we need new forms of networks and support that work for us. By bringing women in councils across Britain and varying levels of experience together, we hope to spark skill-sharing, strength and encouragement.
Whether you’re newly elected or on your third term, join us in creating community and sisterhood. We’ll share challenges, experiences, resources and advice, so you can feel supported as you participate in local politics.
We know that as a councillor, you have a jam-packed calendar and don’t want this to be another meeting on your to-do list, but instead a chance to switch off and unwind with likeminded women who understand what you’re going through. Former councillor Hannah O’Neill will provide light facilitation of the session, which otherwise will remain an open and informal discussion, so you can bring whatever is on your mind to the session. Overall, we want to make sure we can champion you on this journey, so we’d love to hear during the session what support you need going forward so we can help you where we can.
We’ll be hosting this gathering twice on Thursday 21st March, at 1-2pm and 7-8pm so you can choose a time that best matches your schedule.
All women that register to join our community as a councillor will be sent the invitations for all of the gathering dates and times, as well as regular words of encouragement to keep you going!
All women are welcome to register for these sessions. Non-binary people whose experiences or identities intersect with women’s and therefore feel they would benefit from accessing a women-centred space are welcome to join us.

ASK: The short campaign - online
2024-03-20 13:00 - 14:00
Delivered as part of Equip Her, our programme of support for women in our community who are preparing to be candidates in upcoming elections.
Between now and May 2024, we are creating space for you to access free resources, advice and community. We are aware that you may not yet be a confirmed candidate as many parties are still going through selection process, but we wholeheartedly encourage you to consider yourself as a candidate until you are told otherwise, and join in nonetheless.
Women who are standing in both local elections in England and in the General Election are welcome to join these sessions.
This session is being delivered as part of our bespoke skills-based training sessions. Alongside our LEARN and CARE sessions, our ASK sessions are designed to provide opportunity for you to ask our campaign experts any questions you might have following our recent LEARN session, so you can gain personalised advice.
Alongside our live training sessions, women signed up for Equip Her will receive access to Campaign In A Box, an online suite of training resources to access at your own pace that provide you with guidance in how to plan, budget and implement your election campaign. Women also receive our bespoke Digital Self-Defence and Self-Care toolkit, designed in partnership with the amazing team at Glitch, to help you tackle online abuse.
To join this session, please register for Equip Her below, where you will receive instant access Campaign in a Box and Digital Self-Defence and Self-Care, as well as regular reminders of all of our upcoming live sessions.

UN Anti Racism Day demonstrations - London, Glasgow, Cardiff
2024-03-16
Join us on Saturday 16 March along with other trade unionists and activists for UN Anti-Racism Day.
The TUC are supporting the Stand Up to Racism march and rally marking the UN Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The demonstration will highlight the UK‘s international obligations to tackle racism and xenophobia and makes an important public statement that trade unions and other organisations are opposed to the increasingly racist and xenophobic directed against some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Join us and help build a massive turnout on the day.
London – Saturday 16 March 2024 at 12 noon, Home Office, Marsham Street, London
Glasgow – Saturday 16 March 2024 at 11am, BBC Scotland, Pacific Quay, Glasgow
Cardiff – Sunday 17 March 2024 at 11am, The Senedd, Cardiff
