Politics for the Many

The Art of Going Viral: Your guide to social exposure and engagement
2022-06-28 11:30 - 13:45 (Europe/London) | 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!

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

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 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 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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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!

The Future of Democracy Hub Day - The Festival of Debate
2022-05-21 11:30 - 18:00 | 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.

Unison for PR - Spring 2022
2022-03-10 19:30 - 20:00 | Online
Join this meeting of Unison members who want to see their union come out in favour of Proportional Representation.
Unison branches up and down the UK have been debating and passing motions in favour of PR – and sending them to the 2022 National Delegate Conference. With the motions in, the next crucial step is to get PR prioritised by as many regions as possible – to make sure the issue makes it to debate on the conference floor.
Come along on Thursday to hear how that prioritisation process works – and how you, as a Unison member, can lobby your region to push for a debate on PR.
Plus, we’ll look ahead to the the NDC, start thinking about organising conference delegates, and get an update on the separate Labour Link process.
Register today

Proportional Representation: What the rest of the U.K. can learn from Scotland about democracy
2022-03-05 17:00 - 18:00
Join us in the Lomond room for this fringe event about the need for far-reaching democratic renewal. What can the rest of the UK learn from Scotland? How could PR at Westminster help deliver a better deal for Scotland? How can Scottish Labour lead the way? Come along and join the conversation.
Speakers

Paul Sweeney MSP
Johanna Baxter (invited)
Cllr Eva Murray (invited)
Caroline Osbourne, Labour for a New Democracy
Chair: Jonathan Shafi, ERS Scotland

This is a fringe of Scottish Labour Spring Conference, you will need a conference pass to attend.
Double Tree by Hilton – Lomond Suite
Cambridge Street, Glasgow, Scotland, G2 3HN, United Kingdom

Levelling Up Democracy: Andy Burnham
2022-03-03 18:30 - 19:30 | Online
Join Andy Burnham, in conversation with Guardian columnist Zoe Williams, at the first of Labour for a New Democracy’s online Levelling Up Democracy series.
“If the status quo has created the problem, it can’t, by definition, supply the solution. Successful levelling up requires nothing less than the complete rewiring of Britain”
Andy Burnham, writing in Chartist Magazine
The UK has the worst regional inequality of any rich nation. Yet the current ‘levelling up’ debate ignores the deep, structural causes of this: from a system that hordes power in Westminster, to an unrepresentative House of Commons that struggles to see the big picture.
Before becoming Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham served as Labour MP for Leigh and in a number of Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet roles. Now outside of Westminster, and with the pandemic shining a spotlight on just how unequal the UK is, he will share his ideas on how radical democratic reform can help address inequality, net-zero and a healthier political culture.
How can Proportional Representation, devolution and more form a central part of Labour’s programme for rebuilding Britain? Join us to find out.
Find out more and book your place

USDAW for PR
2021-12-02 19:00 | Online

CWU for PR
2021-12-02 18:00 | Online

Unison for PR
2021-11-30 19:00 | Online

FBU for PR
2021-11-30 18:00 | Online

Does Labour need to work with other parties to win power? (ERS - Labour Conference)
2021-09-28 14:00 - 15:30 | Holiday Inn Brighton Seafront, Kings Rd, Brighton, BN1 2JF, United Kingdom
Join the Electoral Reform Society and the Fabians to discuss if Labour needs to work with other parties to win power.

Professor Sir John Curtice
Clive Lewis MP
Ayesha Hazarika (Columnist and Broadcaster)
Cllr Shaista Aziz
Nancy Platts (Politics for the Many)
Jess Garland (ERS)
