Open Britain on the Terrible Attitudes and Policies of the Leading Tory Candidates in the Leadership Race

Dear David,

The Conservatives’ race to the bottom continues. Yesterday, leadership contender James Cleverly was surprisingly knocked out of the race in the third voting stage. With the most moderate competitor eliminated, the divided party is left deciding between two fanatics.

Kemi Badenoch remains the most likely victor. We in the democracy sector remember her primarily for the disastrous Elections Act, which she remains culpable for as the relevant Minister at the time.

On Badenoch’s watch, our democracy was downgraded. The UK’s elections watchdog – the Electoral Commission – was stripped of its crucial independence and powers. Our Mayoral and PCC elections were forced to operate on First-Past-The-Post. A shoddy voter ID scheme was rushed through without consideration for how many it would exclude.

Her opponent, Robert Jenrick, doesn’t exactly have a bright and shiny record either. He’s somehow survived a series of cronyism and corruption scandals. Formerly a moderate Conservative, he’s turned populist in recent years, echoing Farage’s dehumanising rhetoric on immigration and centring his campaign on leaving the European Court of Human Rights.

Both are committed to one cause above all else: fanning the flames of Britain’s never-ending culture wars. These are lazy leaders that boil complicated policy issues down to “wokeness.” They initiate juvenile feuds with students and climate scientists. Instead of laying out a functional vision for Britain, they batter the marginalised who can’t fight back.

The nativist faux populism of Farage and Trump has conquered the Conservatives. To many of us, it all may seem a silly charade, just watching a delusional party completely lose touch with the public and fade off into the political fringes.

But make no mistake, as Labour struggles to win over the public, the far-right’s easy answers will weasel their way back into mainstream political discourse.

This ideology – an unholy synthesis of radical American libertarianism, prejudiced identity politics, and illiberal disdain for democratic institutions – isn’t going anywhere.

Farage and the Conservatives will continue to toe this line over the next few years. Our job is to build a political system that prevents them from gaining an unfair advantage by forcing them to fight fair.

All the best,

Mark Kieran

CEO, Open Britain

.S. On a more positive note, listen to our new APPG members explain the need for comprehensive political reform. Please give these tweets a share and a like to spread the word!

• Labour MP Louise Jones expressesconcerns in her maiden speech over low voter turnout, and argues that it is an MP’s “duty” to show that a “vote for democracy matters”;
• APPG Vice-Chair and Green MP Ellie Chowns lays out the ambitious plans of the cross-party group;
• Lib-Dem MP John Milne speaks on safe seats and the need for PR to make everyone’s vote count at every election, everywhere.’

Results of Open Britain Survey on the Concerns of their Members for Democracy and Labour Party

‘Dear David, 

Last week, we asked Open Britain supporters about their views on the future of British politics. Focusing on the next election, we asked what they thought were the most important factors in fixing our broken democracy and whether they think Labour is up to the task. Nearly 5,000 people completed the survey, and their responses are summarised below.
 

Part 1: The Situation in Britain

The first part of the survey focused on the current political situation. Over 95% of respondents said that “radical change is needed” to fix British politics, a clear indication that timid, incremental proposals from the political parties are unlikely to command much support.

Over half of respondents said that radical democratic reform is the most important thing at the next general election, and more than 86% had it in their top three choices. As for specific democracy issues, OB supporters prioritised: 

• Proportional Representation (88.5%)
• Higher ethical standards for those in office (85.1%)
• Repeal of Tory legislation (77.6%)

Overall, responses to the first part of the survey confirmed a strong feeling that our political system simply is not working as it should and needs to be fixed quickly.

---

Part 2: Is the Labour Party a Vehicle for Change? 

In the second section of the survey, we inquired about potential ways out of the current situation. We focused on the Labour Party, the most likely next government under the FPTP electoral system.

With Labour still ahead in the polls, we wanted to know how our supporters feel about the prospect of a Labour government – and whether they’d deliver the democratic agenda we need. 

For our supporters, the best thing about Labour is that they’re not the Tories. Nearly half of respondents, when asked how they’d feel about Keir Starmer’s Labour winning a majority at the next election, said, “Not great, but better than the Tories”. Similarly, when asked what is “exciting” about Labour, the vast majority said “not being the Tories” (87.7%).

Respondents had a number of specific concerns about Labour. Notably:

• Lack of commitment to overturning Tory legislation such as the Elections Act, Policing Act, and Public Order Act (82.5%)
• Foreign Policy and Brexit Stance (72.1%)
• Factionalism within the party (48.1%)

A much smaller proportion did show some enthusiasm for other aspects of Labour. The Gordon Brown Report and Labour’s National Policy Platform generated some excitement (35.1%), and others took heart from their belief that Labour will overturn the Tory anti-democracy policies mentioned above (27.7%). Nevertheless, the majority are clearly not yet inspired by the prospect of a Labour government, beyond the fact that it will not be a Tory government. 

That was further evidenced by responses to the next question, which asked what the ideal outcome of a 2024 General Election would be. Almost half said that “Labour being forced into a coalition with the Lib Dems” would be the ideal outcome. 

We then asked about strategies for ordinary people to fight for a better democracy in 2024. A similar theme emerged again, with the majority (60.5%) saying that tactical voting to get the Tories out was the best way forward. 

Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, the last question asked respondents to prioritise issues as if they were setting the agenda for a 2024 Labour government. Interestingly, the top three results were:

• Fixing the NHS;
• Addressing the cost of living; 
• Brexit and foreign affairs. 

There is clearly a difficult balance to be struck between addressing the pressing short-term issues that bring voters to the polls and laying the groundwork for fundamental democratic reform in the longer term. This poll showed that our supporters care strongly about both. The next government will have to ride both horses simultaneously, and it won’t be an easy job.

—

Overall, we were glad to see that our supporters care as deeply as ever about the state of our democracy. Broadly speaking, they are united around getting the current government out so that they cannot do any more damage to our democracy and revitalising our political system so that we can reverse the corruption and authoritarianism that has taken hold in recent years. We can work with that!

Our sincere thanks for filling out this survey. These insights will help inform the next phase of work we are planning for September and beyond.

All the best,

The Open Britain team’

As you can see, there is considerable concern amongst Open Britain’s members and supporters about the state of British democracy and very strong, and justified scepticism about the Labour party’s ability or willingness to bring about the radical change this country needs.

And I agree. This country does need radical change to make it more democratic and to revitalise the NHS and create prosperity and better standards of living for ordinary people.

And I do not feel Starmer’s Labour can provide this.

Open Britain Survey on Whether Labour Is Up to the Task of Restoring Democracy

I got this message from the pro-democracy organisation, Open Britain. It asks its members and supporters whether they believe that the Labour party is capable of reforming Britain’s ailing democracy. The short answer from me is: No. Open Britain list a number of positive policies from Labour, of which they strongly approve, but I don’t see Starmer honouring any of them. He’s promised to reform the House of Lords, or abolish it, but the last thing he said about it was that he was intending to pack it with more Labour members. Which is what Tony Blair did when he started messing around with it and trying to create ‘people’s peers’. The result is that it now has more members than the supreme soviet or governing assembly of China. Starmer’s broken so many promises that you simply can’t trust him on anything.

I’m not entirely happy with some of the questions on the survey. They offer stark alternatives rather than less radical policies between two extremes. One of them, for example, is whether the House of Lords should be abolished. I believe it should be radically reformed, but I don’t want it abolished entirely. I have completed the questionnaire, and very strongly approve of some of the suggested policies like the repeal of Tory legislation. Here’s the message and its links to the survey:

‘Dear David,

Even if you’re not glued to UK political news 24/7 like we are, it’s clear that Britain is in bad shape. From incomes to the NHS to housing to trust in government, we’re reaping the consequences of failed leadership across a myriad of policy areas.

Making matters worse, the government has barricaded itself off from public opinion with anti-democratic legislation. We’re left to suffer the state’s ineptitude and corruption with little democratic recourse – whether that be protest, judicial review, or even voting without barriers. We’re drifting into a new British dark age – and it feels like there’s little individuals can do about it. 

After thirteen years of the Conservative’s near-total failure to govern, it’s obvious that we need a fundamental change in leadership. Unfortunately, our outdated FPTP voting system leaves us with a two-party tug of war for political power. The question that remains is: Can Labour – the only real alternative under FPTP – gaze beyond the fatal limitations of the status quo?

We have seen a few promising ideas floated from Labour, particularly in the tentative national policy platform floated in May. These include: 

• Abolishing or reforming the House of Lords;
• Banning ex-ministers from taking political lobbying jobs, as well as potentially blocking MPs from holding most second jobs; 
• Floating ideas about increasing the powers of devolved governments; 
• Cracking down on foreign money in politics; 
• The creation of a new independent integrity & ethics commission 
• Reducing the voting age to 16. 

There are, however, still a number of concerns we’ve heard voiced about Starmer’s Labour Party: 

• Labour frontbench MPs accepting shady donations from shell corporations, American private healthcare interests, gambling firms, climate sceptic organisations, and evangelical christian groups; 
• A top-down selection process that has notably excluded women, minorities, and the left-wing of the party – experts warn of a “stifling monoculture” that undermines party democracy; 
• A rejection of Proportional Representation by central leadership, despite widespread support among members and trade unions; 
• Concerning attacks on political pluralism, expelling members like Neal Lawson for urging progressive cross-party cooperation; 
• Unwillingness to commit to reversing most of the Tories anti-democratic policies, including the Policing Act, Public Order Act, Judicial Review Act, or the Elections Act; 
• Starmer having a similar stance on climate protestors to Suella Braverman; 
• Constant U-turns – 14 policy walk-backs in three years according to Politico. 

It’s not an easy calculation to make. It seems that there is appetite in the UK for serious change, but it remains unclear whether Starmer’s Labour is the appropriate vehicle for it. Given a lack of real political options, we find ourselves at a strange crossroads. We also can’t forget that there will be a temptation for Labour (if they win the next GE) to simply focus on the short term economic crisis – ignoring larger scale democracy issues. 

We’re keen to know what you think about the future of British politics. In your view, where does the hope lie? Can campaigners and organisers like Open Britain make the case to Starmer that we need serious reform before it’s too late – or will Labour opt to neglect constitutional issues and set themselves up for failure down the line? 

Fill out our survey and let us know: 

SURVEY: IS LABOUR THE WAY FORWARD?

All the best,

The Open Britain team’

Open Britain on the Threat to Democracy and Privacy from the On-Line Safety Bill

‘Dear David, 

This week, Open Britain and others took a stand for the fundamental human right to privacy. In its latest incursion on our rights, the Government is attacking end-to-end encryption through the Online Safety Bill (OSB). As the Bill begins its report stage in the House of Lords this week, we’ve worked with partners to get the message out to Peers: neither the government nor social media corporations should be reading our encrypted messages. 

Alongside our partners at Fair Vote UK, we’ve long sought to make the Online Safety Bill into something positive. It’s a massive, complex bill that – in its original form – had the potential to crack down on harmful disinformation and online abuse. Through successive Conservative cabinets, it’s turned into an absolute mess. As the positive elements were abruptly stripped away, new anti-democratic powers were inserted (including one frankly ridiculous amendment to make it illegal to show videos of migrant crossings online in a “positive light”). 

Now, the OSB can be added to the long list of authoritarian legislation that threatens our core human rights. Just as the Policing Act was ostensibly to protect us from disruption and protests, and the Elections Act was purportedly to protect us from voter fraud, the Government claims that it needs to undermine encryption to protect children online. It does this by empowering Ofcom – set to be the new online harms regulator – to compel companies to scan our private messages. Moreover, the Bill grants massive powers to the relevant Secretary of State to oversee Ofcom, part of the ‘authoritarian creep’ seen in so much of the Johnson/Truss/Sunak era legislation. 

This conveyor belt of Conservative governments always pretends that each new draconian Bill is for our own good, to protect us from ourselves. In reality, they are using a large Parliamentary majority to consolidate power, taking us down a dark authoritarian path while pretending they’re doing us a favour. While it is important to protect children online (and there are plenty of other ways to do that), we can’t trust this government to wield these powers responsibly, never mind an unspecified future one that may have even darker intentions.

No one wants this. Campaigners, ordinary people, and even many of the tech giants themselves agree that encryption is a crucial part of our right to privacy. While most people in the UK want the government to do more about harm and disinformation online, they don’t want to pay for it with their rights. 

We’re fighting for an amendment in the House of Lords which would require specific protections for encryption. Unfortunately, the government has the upper hand in these negotiations and will likely fight for it with everything they have. It’s one more uphill struggle in our battle against the wave of toxic legislation we’ve seen in recent years. 

In a properly functioning democracy, campaigners, experts, and the general public would have a real voice on issues like this. We wouldn’t be forced to forfeit essential human rights to an authoritarian and unpopular government based on false pretences. That’s worth fighting for, right?

The Open Britain team‘

Open Britain on Pressuring Keir Starmer to Honour His Pledges to Make Britain More Democratic

I got this message from the pro-democracy organisation yesterday. They’re appalled, as are so many of us, that Keir Starmer appears to be rowing back on his pledges to reform Britain’s political institutions to make them more democratic. I think the background to the message is his breaking his promise yesterday to reform the House of Lords. Instead of cutting its membership down or turning it into an elected senate, he’s promised to add more Labour peers. And this is only one of a number of reforms the country needs, like ending the first past the post system that Starmer shows no intention of implementing. Open Britain have therefore announced, with a Labour victory at next years elections likely, they are going to start a campaign to place pressure on his to implement these reforms.

Here’s the message:

‘Dear David,

With Boris Johnson gone and Rishi Sunak’s government in a very weak political position, it’s time to think seriously about the future. Anyone interested in democratic reform knows that protecting and preserving democracy means replacing this Conservative government with a Labour one – especially under First-Past-The-Post. 

Even that, however, likely won’t be enough. Serious problems exist within Keir Starmer’s Labour party, and it’s not a guarantee that they’ll automatically put democracy first if given power. We need to keep the pressure on them. 

As we know, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has outright shut down calls from a majority of party members for proportional representation. Starmer has not taken a stand against Brexit despite widespread support, and is still refusing to undo harmful Tory policies like the Policing Act, the Public Order Act, and the Elections Act – he even looks to be back-tracking on his promises for House of Lords reform. So far, Labour doesn’t seem to be listening to what their core base of voters wants. 

All of this raises a fundamental question: how can we elect a non-Tory government that is staunchly committed to electoral reform? How do we boot this corrupt lot out while ensuring that Keir Starmer is accountable to the demands of campaigners, local communities, and the general public?

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be putting our heads together and joining with bright minds in British politics to come up with a cohesive strategy to stop the Tories at the next GE, while assuring that Labour commit to crucial reforms. From manifesto commitments to tactical voting at the General Election, there’s a lot we can do. We’re keen to hear from you – keep an eye out for a poll next week on the best steps we can take to fix UK democracy and get the country back on track. 

It’s understandable that Keir Starmer wants to ride to No. 10 on a wave of justified anti-Tory sentiment. We have to demand a bit more, however, than simply not being the Tories. Let’s make Labour realise what a critical period their first term in office will be, and push them as far as we can get them to go in defending, strengthening, and renewing our political system. 

More to come shortly,

The Open Britain team’