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UK Democracy Bulletin, September 2024

UK Democracy Bulletin, September 2024
Newport Rising torchlit march commemorates the 1839 Chartist Uprising (Credit: Newport Rising)

Issue #65 — Monday 30th September 2024

Monthly news, jobs, grants and gossip from across the democracy sector, brought to you by James Moulding and Max Roche of the UK Democracy Network. Read by 400+ democracy organisations. We read everyone’s newsletters & research so you don’t have to. If you want us to cover yours, let us know: hello@democracynetwork.org.uk

How you can get involved right now! Do these things 👇

  1. Join the Democracy Network as a member
  2. Introduce yourself on the Democracy Network WhatsApp Community
  3. Sign up to upcoming events (and our upcoming Christmas Party)
  4. See the latest democracy jobs or add your own
  5. Check available democracy funding
  6. Explore the Democracy Map
  7. Post to the UK Democracy Forum Mailing List

Highlights

  • Devolution agreements reached across England
  • Votes at 16 Stormont passes motion in support of lowering voting age
  • Electoral Commission new tenders for funding now available
  • UK Parliament Week running 18–24 November 2024
  • Fearless Cities comes to South Yorkshire November 2024
  • Liberty & Demos report finds overwhelming public support for peaceful protest
  • Public Interest News Foundation announce new Tenacious Journalist Awards
  • TEDx, Civic Power Fund and The Politics Project hold narrative bootcamp for young democracy changemakers

#DemocracyJobs

Featured Job Listings across the Democracy Sector. View the full database of upcoming job listings here — have we missed any? Add them via this form.

Rolling deadlines

Apply ASAP

Salary not listed (#ShowTheSalary)

Offers & Needs

Request for media advice — Perry Walker, Talk Shop

Perry Walker of Talk Shop wants to pitch a TV/radio/podcast about deliberative democracy dressed up as a game show, but they know little of the media and could use some assistance — can you give any advice? Email Perry here.

Request for connections — Josiah Mortimer, Byline Times

Josiah Mortimer of Byline Times is looking to speak to anyone/orgs working on media reform (including press, broadcast and social media), as well as projects/campaigns monitoring misinformation, misleading bias, polarisation, conflicts of interest, hypocrisy and so on — contact Josiah via josiah@bylinetimes.com

Request for user experiences — Joe Coker, Seelaw

Seelaw is a new tool to scrutinise UK Parliamentary legislation using AI. Joe Coker and the team are interested in speaking to anyone who needs to stay up to date and understand the impacts of legislation who can inform the development of the platform and help meet their needs. Get in touch via joe@seelaw.co

Request for Black and Minority Ethnic orgs facing media difficulties — Civic Power Fund

Civic Power Fund are looking to speak to Black and Minority led campaigning groups who are struggling to get media attention. Get in touch with Mohammed Afridi at the Civic Power Fund with any information.

Democracy Network leadership and management training opportunity still open for submissions

The Democracy Network is offering free/low cost leadership and management training in partnership with Happy Ltd, delivered by Titus Alexander of Democracy Matters. Find out more information about the 12–18 month Level 5 Apprenticeship here and join the two upcoming taster sessions online and in London this month.

Funding Democracy

Henry Duncan Grants offer unrestricted funding for women-led organisations

Henry Duncan Grants are offering unrestricted funding for women-led organisations in Scotland that support women & girls within their communities. The funds are open to charities and registered not-for-profit organisations with an annual income of £250,000 or less. Organisations can apply for up to £40,000 across five years (£8,000 per year) in funding. Find out more.

New Electoral Commission tenders available for democratic innovation and engagement projects

Two new tenders for English organisations and projects have opened with £50,000 for ‘democratic engagement projects’ with a proven track record of demonstrating impact and £10,000 for ‘democratic innovation approaches’ to pilot new and innovative approaches to democratic engagement. See here for more info.

JRCT Power & Accountability Programme opens for new round of funding

They are anticipating a high demand for this round so before applying, they recommend double checking the programme’s policy areas for specific exclusions and so on. Find out more and register here by 24 October.

Charity sector spends £900m a year applying for grant funding, report finds

The research by the Law Family Commission on Civil Society, found that charities with an income of up to £100,000 spend 38% of their total grant income on fundraising applications per year, while those with revenues between £100,000 to £1m spend 35% and larger charities spend 16%. Find out more and read the report.

Centre for Public Impact reimagines funding

In their latest podcast, the Centre for Public Impact, who’ve just completed managing the submissions for the recent Google Impact Challenge, take a moment to reflect and reimagine and innovate on traditional funding models — read the blog — listen to the podcast.

Democracy Sector

Upcoming Democracy Network connection opportunities

Make sure to pop these events in your calendar — or add them to your calendar here.

Democracy Network to launch new Power & Voice programme

Inequality undermines democracy — do you work to change that? This new Democracy Network Power & Voice programme, funded by JRCT, aims to provide tailored support to people and organisations who are working on barriers to democratic engagement created by economic inequality and intersecting forms of discrimination.

If you see the strength of working in solidarity with allied people and organisations to affect change, and want to benefit from networking, training or opportunities for collaboration, we’d love to chat — please email Harley@involve.org.uk to find out more and book a place to be part of its inception in the launch call this autumn.

Democracy Network Steering Group to meet for in-person strategy day, October 15th

Meeting in Central London, the Democracy Network’s recently elected Steering Group will meet to discuss, explore and reflect on the past years work of the Democracy Network to inform a strategy and approach for the next phase of the work to build a stronger, better connected and more impactful democracy sector.

Democracy Club launch their 2024 Election Report, they’re looking for new board members

A deep dive into Democracy Club’s local and general election activity across 2024, the report is a shining testament to Democracy Club’s enduring commitment to improve the availability and accessibility of public election data — in summary, they ‘had a jolly nice time, all things considered’ remarked Peter Keeling, Voting Information Manager at Democracy Club.

But that’s not all, they’re now looking for new board members, particularly those with a background in finance, law, or accounting. Get in touch and find out more.

Civic Power Fund, Politics Project and TEDx to run youth narrative bootcamp

On the 12th October TEDx, The Politics Project and Civic Power Fund will be running a bootcamp to give narrative training to 40 young people starting new organisations aimed at transforming and reinvigorating UK democracy at Amnesty International UK’s offices in London.

Democracy Classroom Next Steps Strategy Day, 1st of November

Democracy Classroom is a collaboration between more than 50 non-partisan democracy, education and youth organisations to support young people to engage in elections. Following the election and the change in government, The Politics Project is hosting an in-person day in London for organisations across the youth, schools, and democracy sectors to come together and explore how we plan to work together in the new parliament. Please contact Harriet Andrews for more information via harriet.andrews@thepoliticsproject.org.uk

Civic Power Fund working to understand Black and Minority led media engagement difficulties

Civic Power Fund are working with a wide range of media partners to look at why Black and Ethnic Minority organisations find it so difficult to get traction for their work in the media. They are interested to speak to. media organisations interested in addressing this deficit and Black and Minority led campaigning groups who are struggling to get media attention. Can you help?

UK Parliament Week: 18th-24th November 2024

Run by the UK Parliamentary Education and Engagement Team and taking place this November, UK Parliament Week (UKPW) is an annual event, spreading the word about what Parliament is, what it does and how you can get involved. UK Parliament Week (UKPW) is a great opportunity to empower young people to use their voices and participate in their democracy both locally and in Westminster!

Involve to celebrate their 20th anniversary next month

Is the democracy sector maturing? You could definitely argue such — with mySociety hosting its 20th anniversary last year, and now it’s Involve’s turn. The special anniversary event on October 17th is invite-only, featuring a team of panellists exploring the future of public engagement and deliberative decision making and a celebration of Involve’s work over the previous two decades..

Newspeak House host their annual Fellowship Dinner, September 28 (Credit: Newspeak House)

Newspeak House launch their 2024 residency programme

Newspeak House — the London College of Political Technology, is a community hub and event space for political technologists and a new college to nurture emerging talent in the field. With a newly expanded faculty, Newspeak House welcomes 15 students from across the globe to London to study political technology this year — find out more.

This weekend last year’s students celebrated completing their course and earning their Fellowship, with student projects ranging from Whatsard, to a new tool for archiving deleted MP tweets (replacing retired Politwoops), 2024 Election Tech Handbook and Organise Lab.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Political and Media Literacy update

Convened by Shout Out UK (SOUK), the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Political and Media Literacy is dedicated to improving the state of political and media education among young people in the UK. The group has recently broadened its scope to champion media literacy as an essential element of its drive to update the national curriculum to meet the demands of the 21st century. The APPG’s inaugural AGM will take place in October. To stay up-to-date on the APPG, subscribe to the SOUK newsletter.

Muslim Women Connect launch Roots Fellowship Programme

The Muslim Women Connect Roots Fellowship Programme is a faith-led development programme is not just about career advancement — it’s about deepening your spiritual relationship, challenging societal stereotypes, and arming you with the support you need to make active contributions to society and speak out on the social issues that matter most to you. The free course is six months long, with 25 fellows, grounded in Islamic values and features a three day in-person residential retreat in Morocco.

Elect Her forging ahead with roadmap for systematic reform, developing their candidate community

Hannah, Rosie and Annabel at Elect Her kick off a new programme of support for prospective female political leaders — the new Start Here workshop aims to facilitate discussions with Scottish universities on women and their power — contact Kirsty for details). But that’s not all, from Councillors Coffee Time, new Peer Support Circles starting in October, to coaching and supporting Fawcett deliver the new woman’s caucus in Parliament, they’ve definitely got their hands full! Contact Annabel for more information or follow their exploits here.

Julia Cushion TikTok star AKA how to turn your blogs into popular video summaries

Last month Julia Cushion, mySociety’s Policy & Advocacy Manager kicked her TikTok fu into gear and earned 10s of thousands of hits on her video on flytipping(!), and another with more than 10,000 views for a video about the sudden reduction in APPGs this year — turns out turning your blog posts into video summaries really works!

What’s happening with Democracy Box you ask?

The Democracy Box is a rich 155-page report co-created by young people from across Wales. The report, evidenced by years of youth-led research, stresses the need to abandon the elections-first approach when it comes to the democratic education information gap — and instead provide year round education and information. Yvonne Murphy of Omidaze Productions, who has been diligently working on The Democracy Box for the past decade provides their latest update on progress with the BBC and Electoral Commission.

Association for Citizenship Teaching seeks feedback from 16–18 year olds on the future of democratic education

The Association for Citizenship Teaching is conducting nationwide research on the impact of studying Citizenship Studies for democratic engagement, participation, and reduced social inequality. They want to hear from any 16–18 year olds across the country — they don’t have to have studied Citizenship Studies. You can share the online survey here. That’s not all, they’re running an online panel on 14th October on the role of citizenship education in engaging young people in democracy — find out more.

Keseb hosting a range of events on civic power, public leadership and misinformation

Keseb run a far-reaching Democracy Champions Network, giving democratic innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders the tools, resources and skills they need to demand change, safeguard democratic norms and processes and inspire the next generation — their upcoming Conversation Series, 21st-Century Democracy: Building a Transnational Innovation Ecosystem is running weekly through October, following on the back of their recent SSIR essays, register now.

Co-Production Network for Wales is looking for board members

Keen to help advance co-production practices in Wales to ensure a fairer and more sustainable society in which everyone’s voice is heard? Then check out this job description and join the Co-Production Network for Wales as a board member. Applications close on the 14th of October.

Democratic Reform & Innovation

Stormont votes in favour of lowering the voting age to 16

Last week the Northern Irish Assembly voted in favour of a motion and amendment to lower the voting age to 16, in line with Scotland and Wales. The motion passed despite opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party and Traditional Unionist Voice. Earlier this month teenagers across Northern Ireland called for lowering the voting age.

Learnings from the Votes at 16 Launch Conference

Politics in Action is coordinating a youth-led campaign to lower the voting age to 16 in Northern Ireland. On the 13th of September, Politics in Action hosted world leading experts on Votes at 16, including Dr Jan Eichhorn of the University of Edinburgh, whose research highlighted the increase in voter turnout and the positive voter behaviours associated with lowering the voting age. If you would like to hear more about the insights and discussions from the conference, then please contact Emily via emily@politicsinaction.org.

Labour and Cross-Party MPs join forces to create new All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections

A new APPG for Fair Elections has been set up to enhance the integrity of UK democracy. The group, chaired by Labour’s Alex Sobel MP, will focus on replacing First Past the Post with a more proportional voting system, removing dark money and other undemocratic influences from UK politics, and countering disinformation. Fair Vote UK will be the new secretariat for the APPG.

UK Democracy Fund to host lessons learned event on GE2024 tomorrow

The UK Democracy Fund are convening grantees and key stakeholders tomorrow in London to explore what happened in the 2024 General Election and what can be learnt from the experience.

Electoral Commission calls for improvements to Voter ID laws as 16,000 not able to vote at general election

16,000 people were unable to vote in the general election due to Voter ID laws, according to new analysis from the Electoral Commission. This represents 0.08% of voters, which is a reduction from the 0.25% at the local elections in May 2023. The Electoral Commission has recommended the government review the list of accepted IDs and has put forward other proposals to ensure fewer voters are impeded by the laws at the next election. Read the report.

Compassion in Politics pushing for UK-wide criminalisation of lying in politics

Compassion in Politics are currently running a 200,000 strong petition to reinforce their campaigning for the criminalisation of lying in politics in the UK — they’ve worked with lawyers on a new Bill for Parliament — see Byline Times coverage. The new Labour Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell MP has said the UK does not need a lying bill. Last week the Senedd closed their inquiry into lying in politics.

Carnegie UK publish new insights and recommendations on democratic wellbeing

Back in 2023 Carnegie UK began a programme of engagement to help improve our understanding of participatory and deliberative democracy’s ability to deliver democratic wellbeing, in partnership with their group of 13 ‘Democratic Wellbeing Champions’. This report captures the insights from that work, the ideas and observations generated and key recommendations for policy makers and campaigners — read the report now.

Newport residents prepare for 185th Anniversary of the Chartist Newport Rising

In 1839 thousands of Chartists, campaigning for democracy, the right to vote with a secret ballot, and for the common people to have their voices heard, marched on Newport to rescue fellow imprisoned activists, in the last large scale armed rebellion in the United Kingdom. On the 2nd November, Newport Rising will be hosting a torch lit march through the city, music and community activities to remember their sacrifice — join the rising, grab your ticket.

Electoral reform remains a strong priority for Liberal Democrats, reports Electoral Reform Society

Despite fears that electoral reform might slip as a priority for the Lib Dems in light of their historic gains at the general election, the Electoral Reform Society reports that it was a strong theme at their party conference. A conference debate saw the party reaffirm its support for the Single Transferable Vote (STV) — something that has been in every manifesto since 1980. The motion also saw conference reaffirm support for the introduction of voting rights for 16 year olds, scrapping Voter ID laws, and the introduction of a new system of automatic voter registration.

Talk Shop running Win Win Workshops on 20mph zones

This month and next, Perry Walker of Talk Shop and Paul Thistlethwaite of Thinking Box are running several of their Win Win Workshops in Torbay, York and Hereford, on 20mph speed limits and the latter on childhood use of smart phones. Contact Perry to find out more about these activities.

Connected by Data & ISWE publish new report on global citizen deliberation and AI

The new report Global Citizen Deliberation on Artificial Intelligence — Options and design considerations published by ISWE and Connected by Data explores how global citizen deliberation could shape the future of artificial intelligence. The report draws on extensive research, a design lab of in-depth interviews and workshops, and presents a series of options for practitioners and process designers. Download the report.

Extinction Rebellion host large-scale community assembly

Outside Windsor Castle last month, Extinction Rebellion UK ran what they think could well be the UK’s largest community assembly on democracy, the results of which they then fed into the deliberative platform Pol.is, the results of which can be viewed here on XR UK’s Rebel Toolkit. See more info on their next event here.

Electoral Reform Society welcomes legislation to remove hereditary Peers from House of Lords

The government has now published legislation that sets in motion the removal of all 92 hereditary Peers from the House of Lords, revoking a right that has stood in place for 700 years! The Electoral Reform Society is ‘rejoicing that this blight on our democracy will finally be cleared up’, but is calling for further action to create a smaller, fully elected, territorial second chamber.

Compass report outlines role of democratic reform in creating a renewed Britain

A new report from Compass, The New Settlement for a Better Society, sets out the role democratic reform can play in creating transformational change across the UK. The report calls for stronger democracy in communities and in local economies, a public-serving media, changes to the electoral system, and more — all of this underpinned by a ‘democratic mindset’ that foregrounds participation and inclusion.

Devolved Democracy / Local Democracy

All Island Better Democracy Network tackling barriers to deliberative engagement

Last month, the All Island Better Democracy Network came together for a DIY Democracy workshop on how to break down the barriers to deliberative engagement, a valuable and worthwhile practice — but one that can often come with a high price tag! The session left participants with strategies to overcome this and a sense of a new community of practice dedicated to deliberative democracy on the island of Ireland.

All-Island Better Democracy Network hold DIY Democracy Workshop (Credit: Involve)

UK Government agrees devolution deals across England

Subject to parliamentary approval and local consent, devolution deals agreements have been reached in Hull & East Yorkshire, Greater Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Devin and Torbay. Deputy PM Angela Rayner described the move as the ‘first step of our major ambition to drive forward our devolution revolution’.

Research for Action launch new three year Councils in Crisis project

Gloria Dawson and the team at Research for Action have begun a new 3-year project called Councils in Crisis, where they are exploring how local government financial instability (and the actions taken to mitigate/ remedy it) affect democracy and accountability. They’re open to discussions about this as they’re at an early research stage and currently mapping out what’s at stake. Get in touch with Gloria here.

Coming soon: Fearless Cities South Yorkshire, Nov 1–3 2024

Citizen Network, Opus, Research for Action, Neighbourhood Democracy and Care Full co-organising the upcoming Fearless Cities summit in Sheffield, 1–3 November. Fearless cities is an international gathering of municipal projects, supporting connections between cities, organisations, communities and citizens who are building new public commons and deeper forms of local democracy and care across the world.

Citizen Network working to establish constitutional convention for Yorkshire

Earlier this year on April 1st — exactly fifty years since the abolition of the thousand year old Ridings of Yorkshire, over 100 proud citizens and community leaders across Yorkshire signed the Yorkshire Declaration, which was read out loud at the Eye of York. The Declaration called on ending the centralisation of power in London and bringing real power to Yorkshire and the regions. Now, Simon Duffy and the Citizen Network coalition are working to establish a constitutional convention, get updates here.

Angela Rayner promises greater devolution across Northern England

Speaking ahead of the Labour Party Conference, Angela Rayner promised to ‘complete devolution in the North’ and said that ‘Northerners would no longer be dictated to by Westminster.’ A new report from the Institute for Government highlights the work still to do to achieve this, as half of England’s population is not covered by any form of devolution. Their report, How the Government can extend devolution to the whole of England, outlines how the government can achieve its aim of devolving power around the country.

Democratising the Media

Byline Times planning new Media Watch project on state of UK media

Byline Times is setting up a new project, Byline Media Watch, to identify and analyse the misinformation and bias within the mainstream UK press. The new project is being crowdfunded — view and support the crowdfunding campaign here.

Public Interest News Foundation announce new Tenacious Journalist Awards

The awards by Public Interest News Foundation allow for access to between £5,000 to £20,000 to carry out a significant piece of journalism which makes a huge social impact. Deadline for interest is 31st October — apply now.

TV broadcast and newspapers seen as most trusted news outlets, despite changing consumption patterns

A new Ofcom report finds that, for the first time since the 1960s, online sites and apps are now narrowly more popular than TV news — much of this driven by the increased use of social media for daily news updates. However, TV news and newspapers are still seen as the most trusted, accurate, and impartial sources of information.

National Union of Journalists passes motion on restoring trust in the media

The Assistant General Secretary of the NUJ, Seamus Dooley, said at the 2024 Trade Union Congress that the existential crisis in the news industry is prompting an existential crisis of democracy. A motion was passed based on the NUJ’s News Recovery Plan, which outlines a number of steps to reset the media industry, including plans to tackle social media misinformation, improve pay and conditions for freelancers, and reform public ownership models with strengthened public interest in mind.

TBIJ, Open Democracy and Bristol Cable join press regulator Impress

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Open Democracy and The Bristol Cable — have signed up to independent press regulator Impress, which the regulator calls ‘three of the most innovative publishers’ in the UK. They join more than 200 other — mostly small, online and either local or specialist — member publications to Impress, which is a rival regulator to the Independent Press Standards Organisation which represents most newspaper and magazine publishers in the UK.

Integrity & Transparency

New Demos & Liberty report on public attitudes to protest published

The People’s Town Square on Protest — Behind the Headlines is a new report that uses deliberation for the first time ever to understand what the public really thinks about the right to protest. Demos & Liberty identified a nuanced picture of attitudes which calls into question the rationale for recent anti-protest legislation. The research finds overwhelming support (83%) for the right to peaceful and nonviolent protest The report includes some clear recommendations, including that the Government commission a comprehensive, independent review on the right to protest in Britain. View the report now.

Labour Party faces major freebies scandal

Free Taylor Swift tickets, clothing passed off as office expenses, senior corporate lobbyists working at the heart of government undeclared, these are just a few of the litany of expenses and freebies detailed by openDemocracy over the last two months. Senior members of the Labour Party have accepted more than £170,000 in gifts and donations since the start of 2023 — and recently elected Labour MPs received more than £80,000 in-kind donations from lobbying firms working on their election campaigns, but due to a rules loophole we will never know the full amount or how widespread this practice was.

Tories received four times more campaign funding from unincorporated associations compared to 2019

Analysis from the Electoral Reform Society finds that the Conservative Party received £375,000 in campaign funding from Unincorporated Associations (UA) in the run-up to the election. This made up approximately 20% of their total funding and equates to roughly four times the amount they received from UAs in 2019. The Conservatives were the only party to receive funding from UAs, which, although legally allowed to donate to UK parties, have attracted widespread criticism due to their opaque internal finances.

Ofcom needs ‘emergency powers’ to tackle misinformation, says Centre for Countering Digital Hate

A new report from Center for Countering Digital Hate, ‘Social Media’s Role in the UK Riots’, takes a closer look at the way social media was used to foment online hatred and misinformation. The report recommends a series of amendments to the Online Safety Law, including ‘emergency powers’ for Ofcom to allow the regulator to de-amplify harmful posts.

CCDH also published Building a Safe and Accountable Internet this month, setting out the STAR framework (Safety by Design, Transparency, Accountability, Responsibility), which policymakers can adopt to bring greater levels of accountability to social media companies.

Hope Not Hate publish new report on Reform UK

As the Austrian far-right clinch victory in their national election last week, Hope Not Hate have published a new report Reform UK: Everything the progressive movement needs to know, detailing the rising threat of the far-right party, explaining their strategy, funding and history.

New Compass report looks at far-right riot root causes

A new report from Compass — After the Riots — takes a closer look at this context, suggesting a clear link between social deprivation and social unrest. Compass is also calling for a Public Inquiry into the Causes and Cures of Political Extremism, to hear the voices of the communities most affected by and vulnerable to extremism.

Major win for Full Fact as Daily Express correct false claim following lengthy battle

On Boxing Day last year, the Daily Express published a false claim in a comment piece which suggested Labour’s policies would lead to the UK taking in an additional 100,000 migrants every year. After a lengthy back-and-forth, which included Full Fact taking the case to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), the Express agreed to officially correct the article.

Starmer must make bold changes on ethics, says Institute for Government

As outrage over Labour’s top brass accepting freebies from wealthy donors grows, the Institute for Government outlines three crucial steps for Starmer to draw a line under the scandal. These include: publishing the updated ministerial code which the new Government has delayed doing, confirming that the independent advisor has the power to investigate breaches of the code (something promised while in opposition), and setting out the details of the new Ethics and Integrity Commission.

Climate activists protest outside North Yorkshire Police (Credit: Gary Calton/The Observer)

Twenty-five conspiracy arrests made during peaceful climate protest at Drax power station

Last month, the police controversially arrested 25 climate protesters involved in the annual climate camp gathering near Drax Power Station, which burns pellets from rare old-growth forests in the USA. The long running annual gathering of climate activists, includes training and panel discussions — which usually includes peaceful protests targeting carbon / fossil fuel infrastructure.

This year, in a major escalation, police intercepted participants on their way to the event and arrested them on conspiracy charges, searching and seizing equipment and vehicles. The arrests were made under recent changes to protest law suspending protest rights and civil liberties in the vicinity of national infrastructure. See Network for Police monitoring for more information.

mySociety explores donations and gifts to MPs

The first financial interests register has been published and mySociety has been busy updating MPs’ profiles accordingly on TheyWorkForYou and making the data easily available in a spreadsheet. Also, keep your eyes peeled as their ‘Who Funds Them’ project is soon getting underway which will provide even greater depth on the financial interests of MPs.

Civic & Political Technology

New AI legislation monitoring platform Seelaw launches

Seelaw is a new platform which uses AI to help monitor, understand and scrutinise UK legislation. They’re currently working out how to better scrutinise legislative amendments using AI tools. Joe Coker and the team are interested in speaking to anyone who needs to stay up to date and understand the impacts of legislation who can inform the development of the platform and help meet their needs. Get in touch via joe@seelaw.co

Campaign Lab runs Campaign Fringe on electoral technology innovation at Labour Party Conference

Campaign Lab runs a progressive volunteer community aimed at developing and exploring innovations in election and political technology, this year they ran an unofficial fringe event in Liverpool alongside the conference, bringing together a range of organisations from CCDH, to Autonomy Institute, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, INQUEST, UCL Policy Lab — and panellists on topics from electoral experiments to tackle the far right, to highlighting impactful electoral tech innovations in 2024.

New AI tool Suffrago running data dashboards for every MP and constituency

Back during the 2023 Selby & Ainsty By-Election, Andrew Gray and Dr Simon Wallace stood as a candidate on a Polis-powered manifesto, now they’re back with Suffrago. The new tool includes data dashboards for every MP, based on their constituency data, plus a legislation explainer and anonymous quasi-Polis-like voting platform for members of the public to express their views on what is going on in their constituencies and to vote on how their MPs have voted. Launching next month!

Imperial College offering free course in AI for public servants

See more information on the free course for public servants here.

And now for something completely different…

JRRT Vice Chair set to compete in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Federation Championships

Alison Goldsworthy, Vice Chair of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust is set to compete in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Federation Championships on the 9th October in South Africa. You can tune to watch her live on Eurosports or follow her instagram to keep up to date on her progress. Good luck Alison!

New children’s book to excite children to consider their place in the world and politics

How to be a Revolutionary is a new book by BBC 6 Music journalist Lucy Ann Unwin. Set during a general election, the book starts with a child excited by the glossy red leaflets coming through the door, a quest to smile at strangers in a park and a curious team of rats leading a crew of passionate kids to inspire their school to change the world — one small step at a time. A book for the school library perhaps?

See you next time,

James, Max and the UK Democracy Network team