Campaigners have called on the Labour Party government to overhaul democracy

To mark International Day of Democracy, campaigners are calling on the prime minister to overhaul the relationship between government and people and to introduce a radical programme of democratisation.

International Day of Democracy: time to rewire the relationship of Whitehall with the country

In a letter to Keir Starmer, leading democracy and civil society advocates have cautioned the PM against the temptation to hoard power in Whitehall as he seeks to get his government back on track.

Instead, signatories urge Starmer to use ‘phase 2’ of his premiership to “lead a democratic revolution – rewiring the relationship between Whitehall and the rest of the country, and unleashing the full potential of people across the UK.”

Referencing a new report, Democracy SOS, the signatories call on the Prime Minister:

• To go further and faster on devolution, permitting councils to raise much more of their own money, and embedding meaningful citizen engagement at every level of decision-making.
• To crack down on disinformation, including sanctions for social media companies doing too little to combat deceptive material about matters of public interest.
• To cap political donations and restore the independence of the Electoral Commission, ensuring politics serves citizens, not vested interests.

Dr Simon Duffy, director of Citizen Network, commented:

In Northern towns and cities, and in many other parts of the UK, people feel dispossessed, while in London a handful of people make all the key decisions. We have lost hope that the existing political system will address the extreme inequalities and many of us are turning to more extreme alternatives. We really need a different kind of democracy, one that is rooted in our neighbourhoods and town halls. One where ordinary people are allowed to be involved in debating and deciding things for ourselves.

Democracy SOS: an 8-point plan for action

The Democracy SOS 8-point action plan sets out how government can make this shift. But the report also warns of the consequences of inaction. Without serious reform, trust will continue to erode, disengagement will deepen, and those who exploit fear and division will gain ground.

Writer and former head of civil renewal for the UK government, and author of Democracy SOS, Dr Henry Tam said:

A weakened democracy is so much easier for charlatans to exploit and bring in arbitrary rule. If politicians don’t save democracy while they still can, they’ll be the ones to blame when the abuse of power becomes the norm under an unscrupulous regime. We’ve seen it happening elsewhere, and we don’t want the UK to end up the same way. Democracy SOS sums up what leading advocates say urgently needs to be done. The government should act on it.

The report stresses that Britain cannot hope to tackle poverty, climate disruption, housing shortages, or health crises without a functioning democracy that works with – not against – its citizens. Now must be a turning point, it argues, in restoring trust in politics and giving people real power to shape the decisions that affect their lives.

Director of Unlock Democracy Tom Brake added:

Democracy is not a luxury. Without it, the country cannot solve the problems people care about most. The Prime Minister now has a chance to show real leadership by giving citizens the tools, rights and opportunities to bring about the change they want to see. This is his moment to strengthen democracy – not only for today, but for the generations to come.

Featured image via the Canary