put people first

we think politics should

PUT PEOPLE FIRST!

what about you?

Our political systems are not working for people in the UK.

We need to #PutPeopleFirst and shift power so democracy works for everyone.

We can make that change

if we work together.

What are our asks?

Include everyone

For political systems to work for people in the UK, they need to include everyone in their makeup, processes and policies.

Together we can create a representative and inclusive politics where everyone can participate. But to do that we have to deconstruct inequalities that create barriers to representation.

did you know?

...only 66 MPs identify as Black, Asian and Minority ethnic,

and five have a self-declared disability.

One of the major obstacles to achieving a fair share of seats for women in all their diversity is that they are under-represented among election candidates.

Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010

The enactment of Section 106 of the Equality Act 2010 could change the look of women’s political representation, as it would require all parties to publish diversity data on candidates standing for elections to the House of Commons, Scottish Parliament and the Senedd. Section 106 of The Equality Act requires party reporting on diversity; but it hasn’t been enacted.

The Electoral Commission says that up to 8 million people are not registered to vote.

The unregistered are most likely to be young voters, people who live in rented accommodation, ethnic minorities or the least well off.

We believe that every voter should be registered. That’s why we’re calling on the next government to a new Automatic Voter Registration system to ensure that more people have a voice in our democracy.

reinstatement of the Access to Elected Office Fund

Disabled people face barriers to political representation because of additional costs created by travel and access needs.

These used to be covered by the Access to Elected Office Fund, but it has been discontinued. We are calling for it to be reinstated for disabled candidates to ensure that they can contest elections on a level playing field.

For further info click here.

clean up politics

📢 We think the codes of conduct that exist in Parliament should be put on a statutory footing so that they can be enforced.

Trust in politics and democracy is eroded if people feel that our elected representatives are not being held to account for wrongdoing.

The Ministerial Code of Conduct should be put on a statutory footing so it can be implemented.

This will help rebuild trust between our elected representatives and the public and clean up politics.

If you agree then please sign the petition here.

Make House of Lords appointments on merit

Politicians have promised to reform or abolish The House of Lords for over 100 years. It’s past time this feudal hangover was updated for the modern age.

At the very least the advice of the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) needs to be binding so that Prime Ministers cannot overrule objections about unsuitable candidates. Also, a reformed second chamber must fairly represent the people from every part of the UK ensuring a balance of age, gender, religion and class.

Find out more and sign the petition here.

Address discriminatory abuse of political representation

📢 We need urgent action to address the abuse of all politicians with a specific focus on the targeting of minority groups.

That means strengthening the laws to prevent the rise in online hate as well as on the ground steps to improve safety and reduce the discriminatory practices that persist in the political space.

We would also like to see an independent Human Resources (HR) body introduced to modernise working practices, to tackle bullying and harassment and to provide proper career and psychological support to those who govern.

Find out more here.

Stop political misrepresentation

& create an Independent Ethics Commission

Honesty is a crucial step in rebuilding trust in our democracy.

In other areas of public life laws prevent deliberate misrepresentation and we would like to see those laws extended to cover factual political statements.

We're also calling for an Independent Ethics Commission to oversee political conduct.

This new Ministerial Code will stop the Prime Minister from blocking investigations into breaches of the code.

This will help create a better, kinder politics which reinforces trust in our democracy.

If you agree then please sign the petition.