** APPG Launch: Huge Success!
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Dear John,

Last night, Open Britain played a pivotal role in the launch of a historic campaign to transform British democracy. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections (APPG), supported by Fair Vote UK and driven by Open Britain, brought together Parliamentarians, campaigners and journalists for an event that marked the group’s formal launch and the publication of their first report.

The APPG for Fair Elections, inaugurated in September, is already one of the largest cross-party groups in Parliament with over 100 MPs coming together to back its crucial mission: restoring trust in UK democracy.

The APPG’s first report, Free But Not Fair ([link removed]) , charts the collapse of trust in British politics, and reviews the impact of the three biggest threats our democracy faces:
* A dysfunctional FPTP voting system;
* Dark money buying up politics;
* Targeted political disinformation.

The report makes three clear and actionable recommendations, essential to the job of building a fairer and more functional democracy:
1. Establishing a National Commission to recommend a fair replacement for First Past the Post
2. Closing “dark money” donation loopholes and giving the Electoral Commission back the power and independence it needs to stop abuses.
3. Requiring transparent responses to ‘legal but harmful’ content (including political disinformation) on social media platforms

We’re incredibly excited to be at the heart of this new and fast-growing movement focussed on making UK democracy work for ordinary people.

Take a look at what our keynote speakers had to say, at some photos from the event, and at the brilliant news coverage we received yesterday.


** Highlights from Keynote Speakers:
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Labour MP and APPG Chair, Alex Sobel: "Unchecked, the business model of social media encourages misinformation and disinformation... Look at what happened up and down the country this summer, large scale disinformation not checked quickly enough by those social media companies, led to violence and disorder in the streets"

Green MP and APPG Vice-Chair, Ellie Chowns: "If Labour can win a huge majority on a third of the votes, then potentially any party could win a huge majority on a third of the votes. And I don't need to remind us all that that is a really dangerous situation"

Lib-Dem MP and APPG Vice-Chair, Lisa Smart: "The report calls for the first big shake-up of campaign finance rules since 2000: closing donation loopholes and strengthening the Electoral Commission."

Deputy Leader of the Conservatives in the London Assembly, Emma Best: “When it comes to election time, people realise the system really is important. We need to have that conversation now, rather than a few weeks before an election when people are most politically engaged."

Former First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford: “Here is a system that delivers inflated majorities on a shrinking minority of votes cast. It drives down participation, when people know, however much you may say to them otherwise, that their vote really doesn't count""

See more highlights from the event on the official APPG for Fair Elections Bluesky Account – appgfairelections.bsky.social ([link removed])


** Photo Gallery:
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** The APPG for Fair Elections in the News:
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Gavin Esler | Byline Times

A Broken Contract: Why Britain’s Democracy No Longer Works for You
Read ([link removed])

Peter Walker | The Guardian

Dozens of new Labour MPs join group pushing for electoral reform
Read ([link removed])

Alex Sobel MP | The House
The government must tackle distrust in politics – starting with our voting system
Read ([link removed])

Zoe Crowther | PoliticsHome
Labour MP Calls For Electoral Reform After "Most Disproportionate" General Election Result Ever
Read ([link removed])

Ellie Chowns MP | Politics.co.uk
Ellie Chowns: ‘The voting system harms trust in politics — MPs are calling on the government to act’
Read ([link removed])

Lisa Smart MP | Politics.co.uk
Lisa Smart: ‘Dark money is undermining trust in politics — MPs are calling on government to act’
Read ([link removed])

Josh Self | Politics.co.uk

Rory Stewart, Amber Rudd among cross-party campaign demanding major political reform
Read ([link removed])


** Quite A Day!
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Quite a day…but that’s just the start.

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be building on this success, growing our movement and converting this energy, interest and support into meaningful pressure that we can exert on the government. We need them to start seeing the compelling case for change that we already see.

As we have pulled together this APPG, one thing has become crystal clear: the country is desperate for change.

People want democracy to start delivering for them. They want proper representation in Parliament. And that will only come with a proper democracy, one free of dark money and disinformation, and in which every vote counts equally.

As you know, those objectives align 100% with what we at Open Britain have been doing since 2020. With our partners at Fair Vote UK and our friends across the democracy sector, we are already busy planning the next phases of this campaign, including how we will grow the mass movement necessary to deliver an irresistible demand for change before the next election.

I’m fizzing with excitement at the thought of the positive change we can bring through this campaign. I hope you are too. I know it won’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.

This has been an unusually long email but I want to finish with a couple of thank-yous.

The first is to my team - and close associates - for the monumental effort they put in to get us to this point. They are a small team but they are gifted and they are mighty! I am honoured to lead them.

The second is to you, Open Britain’s loyal supporters. I say it all the time but it bears repeating: NOTHING that we do would be possible without your generous support. Neither I nor any member of my team ever forgets that, and we are genuinely grateful to you all. Thank you very much indeed.

Here’s to the start of a new leg of our journey. May the road rise to meet us!

All the very best,

Mark Kieran

CEO, Open Britain
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