Politics for the Many

The Future of Democracy Hub Day - The Festival of Debate
2022-05-21 11:30 - 18:00 (Europe/London) | Sheffield Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield, S1 2HH, United Kingdom
In partnership with The Convention
Join us in Sheffield Town Hall as we make space to get inspired and create the future we want for democracy. Co-curated by author and activist Jon Alexander and the Festival of Debate.
Focusing on what could be in the future, not just what’s wrong now, we’ll get inspiration from experts and experimenters from the other side of the world, and from right here in Sheffield. Democracy might be in crisis, but it’s also true that a whole new idea of democracy is taking shape – and Sheffield could be at the heart of it.
Featuring Ece Temelkuran, Shami Chakrabarti, Jackie Weaver, Olivia Blake MP, Camilla Vergara, Indy Johar (Dark Matter Labs), Jessie Joe Jacobs (Involve), Simon Duffy (Citizen Network), Maff Potts (Camerados), Barnaby Flynn & many more.

Democracy Drinks Sheffield - hosted by The Democracy Network
2022-05-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Showroom Cinema Paternoster Row Sheffield City Centre S1 2BX, Sheffield, S1 2BX, United Kingdom
Across the globe, people that work on or are interested in democracy, transparency, anti-corruption, human rights and citizen voice and power, have been meeting up at informal networking events known as #DemocracyDrinks. The events attract a lively mixture of people from charities, international institutions, think tanks, national and local governments and representations, academia, public affairs consultancies, social businesses, campaigners and active citizens.

#DemocracyDrinks Sheffield will be hosted by the Democracy Network as part of the Festival of Debate. It will be a great way of making new contacts and catching up with people you know; for testing ideas and planning actions; for moral support and inspiration.
During the event we will have a number of lightening talks aimed to inspire and inform attendees around issues and ideas relating to democracy and citizen voice and power. Our list of speakers will be announced closer to the date of the event.
We will also have pizza and drinks on arrival!

Councils for PR Launch Event - From MVM and Get PR Done
2022-05-23 20:00 - 21:00 | Online
Councils for PR is a new campaign by Make Votes Matter and GET PR DONE! With the aim to encourage our councils to declare their support for proportional representation (PR) voting for Parliamentary elections.
Join them on Zoom at 7pm on Monday, May 23rd to hear from our speakers as to how you can contribute:

Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South;
Amelia Womack, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales;
Cllr Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat, Cheltenham Borough Council;
Cllr Ricky Knight, Green, Barnstaple Town Council

Register your attendance https://actionnetwork.org/events/councils-for-pr-launch-event-with-clive-lewis

PCS Conference - visit our stall
2022-05-24 - 2022-05-27 | Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2GR, United Kingdom
Politics for the Many is the trade union campaign for political reform.

Labour for a New Democracy is the coalition to secure a Labour commitment to Proportional Representation for UK general elections.

To build an economy and society that works for all means overhauling the warped electoral system at Westminster that silences millions of working people.

Come and visit our stall to find out more

PCS Conference Fringe: How to oppose the Tories in Parliament and in our communities
2022-05-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2GR, United Kingdom
The aim of the PCS political strategy is to encourage more members to get involved in politics to promote PCS policy.
Either via lobbying MPs or by taking to the streets in local and national demonstrations, we can influence the political process in many ways. Politics isn’t just ticking a box every 5 years but a living breathing movement of activity. Come along and be part of the change we need.
Chair: Fran Heathcote PCS president.
Speakers:

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary
John McDonnell MP, former shadow chancellor and honorary president of PCS parliamentary group
Laura Pidcock, Peoples Assembly
Nancy Platts, Politics for the Many.

The road to democratic renewal: In conversation with Dan Poulter MP and Stephen Kinnock MP - hosted by Unlock Democracy
2022-05-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Join Dan Poulter MP and Stephen Kinnock MP in conversation on all things democracy.
We’ll be asking them about the current state of our democracy, and how we can reform and protect it. Expect reflections on electoral reform, the House of Lords, the Ministerial Code and much more.
Register today to reserve your spot on the call.
CLICK TO REGISTER

Democracy Loves Diversity - sponsored by Make Votes Matter
2022-05-24 20:00 - 21:00
Democracy Loves Diversity is the latest event in Make Votes Matter’s Democracy Loves series, designed to showcase how we can use PR to build a better society. In this event, we will highlight how parliaments elected by PR look more like the people they represent. Legislatures elected under proportional systems have a better gender balance, are more ethnically diverse, and are younger, than their equivalents under First Past the Post.
Speaking about this further will be our cross-party panel, representing a broad intersection of British politics:

Shaista Aziz, Labour Party councillor for Oxford City Council, journalist and comedian.

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, Deputy Leader of the Women’s Equality Party.

Hina Bokhari, Liberal Democrat Member of the London Assembly.

Dr Maria Iacovou (chair), Professor in Quantitative Sociology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

Femi Oluwole, Political commentator

Amelia Womack, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
The event will start at 7pm, and have time for an audience Q&A

Briefing: Elections, parties and the case for renewing democracy - The Democracy Network
2022-06-01 13:30 - 14:30 | Online
A protest against democratic politics has been mounting for decades and is gathering steam. It can be seen in the form of ‘silent’ and ‘noisy’ protests across advanced democracies. Mainstream political parties are failing to respond to the protest against democratic politics. This can be seen in their electoral decline, yet centre-left and centre-right parties have shifted their policy positions in response to the right populist challenge, most obviously on immigration. But it is a not a strategy that is reaping electoral dividends and may only to strengthen their populist challengers. Instead, mainstream parties should seek to address the causes of the protest.
There is an urgent need to address the causes of the protest against democracy. A progressive response to declining status and lack of voice necessarily involve reforms that put citizens back at the centre of democracy.
This briefing emphasises and unpacks the idea that parties committed to democratic values should put ‘giving back control’ at the heart of their electoral strategy and their agenda for government.

Scrapping the system that keeps the Tories in power - Online rally followed by expert Q&A
2022-06-09 19:30 - 20:45 | Online
Voters should be able to kick out those who vote on our laws. As the late Tony Benn said, the question we must ask of powerful figures is: “How can we get rid of you?”
First Past the Post works to the Tories’ advantage. Their votes are more ‘efficient’ in transferring to seats which means that come election day even if Labour and the Tories are neck and neck when the ballots are counted the Tories would end up on top. It took on average 38,264 votes to elect a Tory MP in 2019, but for Labour, that same figure was over 50,000.
Featuring trade unionists, MPs and campaigners for a fair voting system, we’ll be discussing how First Past the Post means a minority of the country choose the government again and again.
Chair: Lynn Henderson, Chair of Politics for the Many
Speakers include:

Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP
Clive Lewis MP
Sam Tarry MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Aileen McLoughlin, Unison SW rep on National Labour Link Committee
Cllr James Beckles, Unison member
Stephen Smellie, Unison NEC (in a personal capacity)
Caroline Osborne, Labour for a New Democracy
Darren Williams, PCS National Officer
Julie Ward, Vice Chair LCER & former Labour MEP

Expert Q&A with:

Jessica Garland, Electoral Reform Society

Unison Conference - Visit our stall
2022-06-12 - 2022-06-17 | Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2GR, United Kingdom
Politics for the Many is the trade union campaign for political reform.
Labour for a New Democracy is the coalition to secure a Labour commitment to Proportional Representation for UK general elections.
To build an economy and society that works for all means overhauling the warped electoral system at Westminster that silences millions of working people.
Come and visit our stall to find out more.

Have your branch delegates joined the “Unison for PR” delegate network?
There’s a group of “Unison for PR” delegates who are organising to get Proportional Representation prioritised for debate at the NDC, coordinated by Politics for the Many & Labour for a New Democracy.
If your branch delegates want to help – or just want to hear more about why trade unions would benefit from electoral reform – they can click here to join this delegate network and WhatsApp group.

Democracy Loves Strong & Stable Government
2022-06-13 19:30 - 21:30
Can Proportional Representation deliver ‘Strong & Stable Government’? The evidence shows that yes, it can!
Legislatures elected under proportional systems have been shown to produce better, and more stable governments. Proportional Representation:

Puts an end to the ‘yo-yo politics’ of First Past the Post.
Leads to more stable decision-making, and governments backtrack less.
Creates a greater diversity of opinion, and creativity of thought.

As a result, governments elected under PR come up with better solutions to a range of problems. From income inequality to climate change, countries with PR deliver better answers to the existential questions of the day.

Leafleting outside Unison Conference
2022-06-14 09:30 - 11:00 | Costa Coffee, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2GR, United Kingdom
We’d welcome any help to hand out leaflets about our fringe, fish and chip supper and reasons to support proportional representation.

Unison Conference Fringe - Unison talks Proportional Representation
2022-06-14 18:30 - 20:00 | The Old Ship Hotel, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NR, United Kingdom
More Unison branches have submitted motions on Proportional Representation to the National Delegate Conference than on any other single issue.
With a debate about electoral reform taking place across the wider labour movement, Unison now has an opportunity to take a position.
Join Stephen Smellie (Unison NEC, personal capacity) and a panel to hear why First Past the Post doesn’t stack up for trade unions, and why Unison should back PR at this year’s NDC.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, MP for Brighton Kemptown
Aileen McLoughlin, Central Bristol Health Branch (personal capacity)
James Anthony, Unison NEC (personal capacity)
Nancy Platts, Politics for the Many
Caroline Osborne, Labour for a New Democracy

Chair: Stephen Smellie, Unison NEC (personal capacity)
Hosted by: Central Bristol Health, Glasgow City, Norfolk County, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Surrey Unison branches.

Have your branch delegates joined the “Unison for PR” delegate network?
There’s a group of “Unison for PR” delegates who are organising to get Proportional Representation prioritised for debate at the NDC, coordinated by Politics for the Many & Labour for a New Democracy.
If your branch delegates want to help – or just want to hear more about why trade unions would benefit from electoral reform – they can click here to join this delegate network and WhatsApp group.

Unison Conference - Fish and chip supper with Sam Tarry MP - ticket only
2022-06-14 20:00 - 21:00 | Monarch Bar & Restaurant, 46/48 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NA, United Kingdom
Do you have a question about proportional representation? Join Politics for the Many and Labour for a New Democracy for an informal opportunity to discuss the questions that come up at your branch, and hear from Sam Tarry MP. Please drop by our stall at Unison Conference to find out more about our campaign and get a ticket. Veggie option available.
Speakers include: Sam Tarry MP and Caroline Osborne (Labour for a New Democracy)

Have your branch delegates joined the “Unison for PR” delegate network?
There’s a group of “Unison for PR” delegates who are organising to get Proportional Representation prioritised for debate at the NDC, coordinated by Politics for the Many & Labour for a New Democracy.
If your branch delegates want to help – or just want to hear more about why trade unions would benefit from electoral reform – they can click here to join this delegate network and WhatsApp group.

Leafleting outside Unison Conference
2022-06-15 09:00 - 10:30 | Costa Coffee, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2GR, United Kingdom
We’d welcome any help to hand out leaflets about the priorities ballot and reasons to support proportional representation.

TUC national demonstration in London, followed by rally in Parliament Square
2022-06-18 13:00 - 18:00 | Portland Place, London W1, London, W1, United Kingdom
Enough is enough. We demand better. We deserve better.
Energy bills are rising 23 times faster than wages. Read more
Let’s turn anger into hope and hope into action.
Please help mobilise for the national march and rally on Saturday 18 June.
Watch and share our ‘I’ve had enough, and I am not going to take it anymore’ film
Action points for you:

Please share on your own feeds – TUC tweet and images for social media.
Please tell activists, members, workmates, friends and family about the event.
Are you organising a coach? If you have a coach booked please let us know so we can advertise your coach details on our website.
Circulate the appeal for stewards

Sign up for updates and see the route
Leafletting
GET PR DONE! will be leafletting on the day. If you would like to join them, the meet up time and location is Saturday, 18 June at 11:30 a.m. sharp. The place is in front of the John Lewis store, 300 Oxford St. London W1C 1DX (The exact location is on the north side of Oxford St at the corner of Holles St and two blocks from the main march route on Regent Street.) If you want to be added to the WhatsApp group, email Barry Howard [barryhoward1962@hotmail.co.uk] and include your mobile phone number.

Democracy Drinks
2022-06-24 18:30 - 20:30 | Teviot Row House, 13 Bristo Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AJ, United Kingdom

Make Votes Matter South Hampshire (Havant) Street Stall
2022-06-25 11:00 - 13:00
MVM South Hampshire (Havant branch) will be holding a street stall on :
Saturday 25 June from 10am
Location
Meet at the War Memorial
Please join us and help to campaign for better politics.
For any other questions, or to join the group, please get in touch via email at MVM.Southampton@gmail.com

Make Votes Matter East Herts Stall in Bishop's Stortford Market
2022-06-25 11:00 - 15:30
MVM East Herts (& adjoining areas) are holding our next stall on:
Saturday 25 June from 10am to 2.30pm
Meeting place: Bishop’s Stortford Market
Come and join us!
We will have a vote-o-meter, leaflets, stickers and badges. All the more support the better!
mvm.eastherts@gmail.com

Make Votes Matter East London Stall June 2022
2022-06-25 11:30 - 15:00
Saturday, June 25, 2022
10:30 AM 2:00 PM

MVM East London are holding a street stall on:
Saturday 25th June 10.30am – 2pm
Place: Broadway Market, Hackney (between Regent’s Canal and London Fields)
Will you join us to speak with local Hackney residents about the need for a better democracy where every vote matters?
We will bring petition papers for people to sign and speak with local residents about how Proportional Representation would help bring about a kinder society (you don’t need to be an expert, we can brief you there). Come for the whole time or just help out for an hour or so.
it would be great to have you there if the date and time works for you.
For any further information please contact: MVM-East-London@outlook.com

Make Votes Matter Stall in Birmingham
2022-06-25 12:00 - 14:00
Saturday, June 25, 2022

11:00 AM 1:00 PM

MVM Midlands are holding a stall in Birmingham on:
Saturday 25th June 11am -1pm
Location: Mosley Farmers’ Market, Birmingham B13 8HW
Please note about parking: There is free parking at Marks & Spencer which is about a 5 minute walk from Mosley Farmers’ Market. There is also a Pay and Display car park two minutes away. Parking on the nearby streets is limited.
If you can come along for any part of the above time period, and help us engage the public regarding Proportional Representation, then we would love to see you, and would really welcome your support. If you come along and take part in a group photo on the day, we would really appreciate that also.
For further information you can contact:
Reed on: mvmleicester@gmail.com
or local@makevotesmatter.org.uk

The Art of Going Viral: Your guide to social exposure and engagement
2022-06-28 11:30 - 13:45 | Online
World – class social media engagement workshop with Owen Williams, former head of Social Media at BBC (and now Managing Director of Siml)

About this event

Owen Williams was formerly head of Social Media at BBC One and is the reason that the Red Dragon, the Scottish Saltire and the St George Cross emoji flags exist on our keyboards today.
Owen’s session provides the recipe to getting social media right. He’ll break down how content goes viral – why some clips get shared and viewed more than others. He’ll also explain how the algorithms can be gamed. In amongst all this he’ll be sharing his huge experience, hilarious anecdotes and outstanding advice.
You’ll leave the session with:

A clear three-part social strategy

World-class tips and tricks

An understanding of the algorithm powering social media

So if you want to find out more about how to engage with more audiences and to take your new found knowledge and confidence across and beyond spaces of democracy then this session is for you!

Women Chainmakers Festival - 2022
2022-07-02 12:00 - 18:30 | Mary McArthur Gardens, Whitehall Road, Cradley Heath, B64 5BG, United Kingdom
In 1910 the Women Chainmakers of Cradley Heath fought a successful 10-week dispute to establish the right to a minimum wage for their labour. Each year the Women Chainmakers Festival recognises and celebrates the role of women within the trade union movement and aims to reclaim the often forgotten contribution of women to Britain’s industrial heritage. The festival usually includes a banner procession, history tent, activities for children, music and speakers. In 2020 and 2021 the festival was held online. The 2022 festival is scheduled for Saturday 2 July and will return to Cradley Heath – find out all the details from the Women Chainmakers festival.

International Brigade Memorial Trust commemoration,
2022-07-02 14:00 - 15:00
2 July LONDON – IBMT annual commemoration at Jubilee Gardens on London’s South Bank, with speakers including RMT President Alex Gordon, a representative from the Basque Children of ’37 Association, Liz Estensen – daughter of International Brigader Otto Estensen, and more. Will also feature music from Na-Mara; International Brigade Memorial, Jubilee Gardens, London SE1 7JA.

The Representation Gap
2022-07-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Convocation Hall, Church House,, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3AZ, United Kingdom
How representative is Parliament? What does this mean for policy and politics?

About this event

In representative democracies, parliament (or the legislative) determines whose ‘voices’ in democracy filter through to governance and decision-making – and whose do not.
On one hand, the social and economic background of parliamentarians has an important impact on the policy choices they make in office. One the other hand, it has repercussions for public trust in democratic politics and voting behaviour.
As recent political scandals in the UK push issues relating to political representation up the agenda, we will consider:

How representative is the House of Commons of UK society?
Are recent improvements in gender and minority ethnic representation cause for celebration? Or is there more than meets the eye?
Why is there a growing ‘representation gap’ with regard to social class? What are the implications for policy and politics?
How does political representation in the UK compare to other representative democracies?
How can we improve the representativeness of parliament?

A keynote address will be delivered by the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. This will be followed by a panel discussion. Our speakers are:

Professor Rainbow Murray, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London
Michael Jennewein, Researcher for Democracy and Economics at FES Democracy of the Future – Vienna
Lisa Eigbadon, co-founder of Grassroots Graduates and youth advisor at Rekindle School
Michael Bankole, PHD candidate in the Department of Political Economy, King’s College London

This event is taking place on Monday 4 July from 5 – 6.30pm at Convocation Hall, Church House, Westminster, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3AZ. The event is being held in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).

North Cumbria Make Votes Matter Group Meeting
2022-07-04 20:00 - 21:00 | Online
For our agenda will be reviewing Equal Votes Walk, Preston Rally, Get Moving for PR, and their impacts; discussing PR developments locally/around the country, and what they might mean for the possibility of PR becoming adopted. Counteracting arguments against PR.

Durham Miners' Gala
2022-07-09 - 2022-07-10
The DMA announced last year that the returning Gala will be dedicated to key workers.
Carers and bus drivers, delivery workers and nurses, shop staff and teachers, everyone who has risked their lives to keep society functioning throughout the pandemic will be celebrated.
The DMA will work with trades union branches across the country to bring people into Durham, and is calling on the public to gather in greater numbers than ever before in support of the country’s key workers.

Labour for a New Democracy - campaign update - Summer 2022
2022-07-13 20:00 - 21:00 | Online
Campaign update – Summer 2022
Start: Wednesday, July 13, 2022 • 7:00 PM • British Summer Time (GMT+01:00)
Virtual event: A link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon RSVP
Host Contact Info: hello@labourforanewdemocracy.org.uk

Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Museum
2022-07-15 - 2022-07-18 | Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum, Dorchester Rd, Tolpuddle, Dorset, DT2 7EH, United Kingdom
In the 1830s life in villages like Tolpuddle was hard and getting worse. Farm workers could not bear yet more cuts to their pay. Some fought back by smashing the new threshing machines but this brought harsh punishments.
In 1834, farm workers in west Dorset formed a trade union. Unions were lawful and growing fast but six leaders of the union were arrested and sentenced to seven years’ transportation for taking an oath of secrecy. A massive protest swept across the country. Thousands of people marched through London and many more organised petitions and protest meetings to demand their freedom.
Museum
The Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum tells the harrowing tale of the Martyrs’ arrest, trial and punishment, leading to the foundation of modern day trade unionism.
The museum is a modern, informative, and educational exhibition, using interactive touch screen displays new graphic panels telling the story in text and images. The museum sets out the Martyrs’ story in four sections: Before the arrest, The Oath and Betrayal, Transportation, and the Homecoming.
Visit the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum

Festival
Every year in July, thousands of people to enjoy the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival. It is a weekend of family entertainment, stalls, political debate, comedy, music and a grand procession through the village.
15-17 July 2022
– Join the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Facebook group
– Subscribe to the Tolpuddle Martyrs Youtube channel
– Get your ticket to the festival at tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk
Find our more about the annual Festival

Democracy Messaging Guide Workshop
2022-07-18 15:00 - 17:00
Join us for the launch and workshop of the Democracy Messaging Guide (all welcome).
On a mission to communicate in more compelling ways and build public support, in late 2020 a dozen democracy organisations teamed up to produce a messaging guide for the sector. Based on rigorous testing and research, the guide outlines how to frame democratic reform in a way that works to shift public attitudes and behaviour. This jam packed workshop is for anyone trying to talk about changing the political system in the UK.
