Dear John 

MPs might be on their holidays right now. But the Lords aren’t and neither are we.

Thanks to your support for our work, the Lords defeated the government last night.

But there is still so much to do, and the fight continues to save our democracy. 

This past week, our work with Peers has continued at pace as the Elections Bill went through its first day of Report Stage. We saw amendments pass expanding the list of acceptable voter ID forms, and the Government was forced to accept an amendment making voting more accessible to those who are visually impaired or have another disability. The next stage is critical. The second day of Report Stage will take place in two weeks’ time after Parliamentary Recess. And it’s on this day that Lords will be voting to protect the independence of the elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission. We have to win to keep our elections free and fair.

And on the Policing Bill, we are pushing the Lords to hold firm on allowing noisy protests. There’s an uphill battle ahead when those amendments return to MPs in the Commons, but we haven’t given up. 

The dedicated (and frequently noisy!) campaigning of civil society groups and of countless people like you in all parts of the country is a huge factor in holding the resolve in parliament against this Government’s authoritarianism. Thank you for being with us on this important journey.

We of course cannot do any of this without you. It’s vital that we keep up the pressure on this Government. If you feel able to contribute to the campaign, you can do so here. 

Just last week, our campaigning (your success!) pushed the Government to make concessions on some of the worst parts of the Elections Bill. Because of you, they have removed the section that would have allowed the Government to unilaterally ban certain campaigners from participating in elections. 

Those concessions only came because of your continued support and enthusiasm for challenging the Government. With your determination, relentless campaigning and a bit of luck, we can have more successes like this. 

I cannot emphasise enough how much your support means to us. We are only able to engage parliamentarians and the public, and spread our message far and wide because of you. 

Thank you for everything you do to champion freedom, to champion democracy, and to champion Britain.

Best wishes,

Naomi Smith

CEO - Best for Britain