Unlock Democracy

– Expert in equality, human rights and parliamentary procedures and work at the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

 

– Involved with UD and its predecessors since 1995 and have served on both Council and Management Committees. I am also a Director of Rodell.

 

– Vice Chair of my Public and Commercial Services EHRC branch executive committee and elected member of the PCS Public Sector Group Committee and sit on the SERTUC Women’s Rights Group. Recent campaign work against public sector cuts secured national media coverage and parliamentary interventions via select committees and debates.

I am a passionate supporter of Unlock Democracy’s campaigns for an accountable and repesentative political system.

 

UD must continue its work on reform of party funding and the regulation of lobbyists and use the lessons of the Leveson inquiry to challenge the corruption at the heart of our political system. We must campaign against any weakening of the Freedom of Information Act and oppose moves to monitor private internet usage. UD needs to urgently address the diversity of its membership base and resources should be dedicated to recruiting groups under-represented in politics e.g. women, ethnic minorities and young people. This should be combined with a concerted effort to increase the number of local groups with an annual target set by the Council. This work should be the responsibility of the Outreach officer with the support of dedicated Council members. Vote Match is one of my favourite projects and the Council should develop a targeted fundraising campaign to support it. I also want UD to develop partnerships with European NGOs and trade unions to work together in the face of the serious threat to democracy posed by imposition of technocrats in governments by the IMF e.g. Ireland and Greece.