Every year on 28th April, we gather to remember those who lost their lives, health, or livelihoods to unsafe work. Workers’ Memorial Day is a reminder that safe work is a right—a right too often sacrificed at the altar of profit and political neglect. But this year, as we mourn the dead, we must also confront a systemic threat to …
Continue readingFor the political junkies amongst you in the trade union movement who enjoy dissecting election results, you’ll have noticed how many of media outlets are now running stories telling us what Parliament would look like under proportional representation. Channel 4 has produced a great video report that explains how it would look and why. As it’s Heart Unions week, this …
Continue readingThe All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections launched with the backing of 100 cross-party MPs, including many on the Labour benches. You can see the full list of supporters here. In marketing terms these are the innovators and the disruptors, challenging the status quo, building and refining the arguments to make the case for a better democracy. The …
Continue readingOver 200 people joined us online to hear Guardian columnist Zoe Williams in conversation Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester to talk about where next for our democracy. Here are my five takeaways: Andy referred to analysis by Sir John Curtice that said trust in politicians is at its lowest and as a result people are now looking at proportional …
Continue readingThe future of work is going to look very different from the world of work at the end of the last century. When trade union membership was at its peak in 1980, jobs were more likely to be full-time, secure and accompanied by a pension and other benefits. Unions helped workers to maintain and improve their terms and conditions. A …
Continue readingA question we get asked a lot at Politics for the Many HQ is why proportional representation (PR) is good for trade unions. Heart Unions Week offers an opportunity to reflect on how our voting system has negatively impacted trade unionists and to embrace the opportunities that a fairer voting system might hold. The trade union movement has always led …
Continue readingMost of those registered to vote do not want a Conservative Government, yet they keep getting elected! How does this happen? Democracy campaigner and author of The Tory Winning Machine, Adam Herriott, explores more reasons why this may be the case. Part two of a two-part blog Part one The Tory Party may be tearing itself apart at the moment, but …
Continue readingMost of those registered to vote do not want a Conservative Government, yet they keep getting elected! How does this happen? Democracy campaigner and author of The Tory Winning Machine, Adam Herriott, explores the reasons. Part one of a two-part blog The Conservative Party has always been the party of the rich and powerful. They operate to form governments that defend …
Continue readingIn the 1997 general election Tony Blair decided Labour wouldn’t stand a candidate against the Independent anti-corruption candidate Martin Bell in the Tatton constituency in Cheshire. Neither did the Lib Dems in what was the 4th safest Tory seat in the UK at the time. The tactic to rid the constituency of the incumbent Tory Neil Hamilton, who was entangled …
Continue readingThe trade union movement has always led demands for greater democracy, empowering working people and communities, and offering a different vision of society. Today, that demand for greater democracy is vital and urgent. The powerful levers of the state are being used to undo rights and freedoms, give jobs and contracts to cronies, and attack minorities. We need to rewire the …
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