** 9th November 2024
Let’s Not Agonise…Let’s Organise and Mobilise
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Dear John,
The US election result has fundamentally altered the global political landscape. An authoritarian figure with multiple criminal convictions now controls the world's leading superpower and Britain's crucial ally. The implications for democratic institutions worldwide are profound and deeply concerning. There is an anti-democratic storm ([link removed]) heading our way, and we need to meet it head-on.
This moment feels particularly ominous for those of us committed to rebuilding public trust in politics. The triumph of dark money and disinformation in America has energised authoritarian forces here in Britain. Nigel Farage and his allies are already working to replicate Trump's playbook here, bolstered by significant influxes of American funding, ready to target the weaknesses in our democratic system.
At Open Britain, we've long warned about these dangers. While it's encouraging to see more people wake up to the threat this creeping authoritarianism poses to British democracy, it is sobering to see just how powerful that threat is and just how vulnerable our defences against it are. But, while it’s true to say that the storm is heading our way faster than ever, we still have time to prepare for it and to protect our democracy against the worst of it.
If we don’t delay, we still have time to:
* Wake more people up to the danger of this creeping authoritarianism.
* Eliminate ‘dark money’ from UK politics so that billionnaires with malign intentions can’t buy political influence.
* Combat the spread of disinformation in public debate so that voters can make properly informated democratic decisions and avoid voting for things that undermine their own interests.
* Replace the First Past the Post voting system with one that puts power in the hands of voters, not vested interests.
We're already making progress with this. Our messaging about the threat posed by people like Nigel Farage to our democracy is getting through to more people. And the new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Elections - that we support with Fair Vote UK - is beginning to pick up steam.
Trump's victory makes our work more urgent than ever. But, if we are looking for a small silver lining in this huge cloud, it also serves as a ‘ghost of Christmas future’, a timely warning of what is to come if we don’t stand up now and bring about some fundamental change to the way politics works in the UK.
The battle for democracy's future is intensifying. Together, we can ensure Britain takes a smarter approach than our American cousins.
** Westminster Watch
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* The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections is building momentum. We’re working tirelessly with our friends in Fair Vote UK to get more MPs signed-up to push for Proportional Representation, stronger campaign finance rules, and better safeguards against dangerous political disinformation.
* What MPs and Ministers Are Saying:
+ Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Jim McMahon has pledged ([link removed]) to address the recently changed electoral system for mayors, saying that mayors must have the support of a majority of residents.
+ APPG Member Andrew Ranger also highlighted ([link removed]) the need to return mayoral elections to the proportional system they had before 2022: "If we’re going to restore trust in politics, elected representatives need to be able to demonstrate broad support in their communities – and everyone needs to know they have a vote that counts in all our elections."
+ APPG Member Tim Roca spoke ([link removed]) on the Commons floor about the need for “greater electoral reform”, arguing that “voters should be able to change the outcome of elections every time they go to the polls, but unfortunately too many are trapped in constituencies where their vote for this place still doesn't count”
+ APPG Member John Milne argued ([link removed]) that PR would make everyone’s vote count: “Being a rock solid safe seat in a first-past-the-post system isn’t great for democracy. So many people have said it’s the first time their vote has ever counted.”
+ APPG Member Louise Jones, in her maiden speech, spoke ([link removed]) to the troubling lack of trust in the democratic system today: "It is of deep concern to me that the number of people voting has diminished over the past few years"
Members of the APPG for Fair Elections at the Inaugural Meeting
** OB’s Agenda in the News
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* Peter Geoghegan brilliantly dissected ([link removed]) how opaque American funds are crossing the Atlantic, highlighting the connections between Trump and our own local far-right – and the need for better safeguards.
* Stateside, reports are emerging of a massive influx of dark money ([link removed]) at the 2024 Presidential Election. It's shocking, but unfortunately, not surprising.
* Byline Times highlighted the dangers of big tech platforms, and the global disinformation war ([link removed]) being waged against democracy.
** What We’ve Been Writing About:
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* I took to our "UglyPolitix” substack to outline the nefarious links ([link removed]) between Trump, Musk, and Farage – and what it means for protecting British democracy.
* In his US election newsletter series, OB’s communications officer Matt Gallagher highlighted ([link removed]) that a second Trump term would be different than the first when it comes to democracy.
* Though it hardly seems critical right now, we also went into the UK Conservative leadership ([link removed]) ’s race to the bottom, and why culture-war Kemi Badenoch’s victory may open up new opportunities for Trump sycophant Nigel Farage.
That’s all for this update. I already know that next month’s edition is going to be bumper…I look forward to updating you again then.
Thank you, and all the best,
Mark Kieran
CEO, Open Britain
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