'House of the People' Citizens' Assembly Provides Alternative to UK's Far-Right Descent'
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The first sitting of the House of the People, a citizens' assembly initiative by the group Assemble has recommended a "People's Charter" of citizen-led policy proposals.
These include a wealth tax, strengthening anticorruption laws to prohibit lobbying, an immediate arms embargo for all countries acting in violation of international law, the "long term decommodification of housing", and the creation of a Future Generations Act to ensure that Government policy takes into account those not yet born.
The House of the People gathered over three days in London this week to deliberate, debate and generate policy ideas after discussions with experts, such as the economist Richard Murphy, the head of policy at Greenpeace, Doug Parr, and Leigh Evans, a nurse who has worked in Gaza. Around 100 people attended.
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Some 1,500 have participated in Assemble's local assemblies over the past two years. 50% of the "members" of the House of the People, which the organisers call a "parallel parliament", were drawn by sortition from those assemblies, with the remainder remaining recruited from the public.
At this week's assembly, members debated four themes - democratic renewal, unjust war and genocide, wealth inequality and climate breakdown - which were generated through local assemblies where people were asked what the problems are in their area, and what changes they want to see in the UK.
Ishana Atkinson told Byline Times the assembly had been "an incredible experience, I feel like I've learnt so much".
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She continued: "I feel like I've gone in with a bit of understanding about the main topics we've been looking at; democracy, and unjust war and genocide, the environment and climate and also wealth inequality. I knew a little bit about each thing, but I feel like I've been learning a lot and also about how to synthesise a lot of information and turn it into actionable policies that we could recommend to the Government".
Assemble intends to use the proposals generated by the sittings to provide a policy platform that campaign groups can coalesce around and to put pressure on the Government, and push for change. This will include a "rush on parliament" in the style of the Suffragettes.
Small political formations across England, such as Southport Community Independents and Majority, a party run by Jamie Driscoll, the former Mayor of the North of Tyne, are working with Assemble to run local assemblies and generate policies that they believe are more likely to resonate with the electorate, because they've come directly from them.
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The first House of the People sitting attracted a more politicised, progressive-leaning section of the citizenry, but Assemble intends to make assemblies more representative.
Yaz Ashmawi, a facilitator at the assembly told Byline Times that he hopes people with different beliefs join the assemblies, arguing that they could play a vital role in combating the far-right: "The whole ...
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
The first sitting of the House of the People, a citizens' assembly initiative by the group Assemble has recommended a "People's Charter" of citizen-led policy proposals.
These include a wealth tax, strengthening anticorruption laws to prohibit lobbying, an immediate arms embargo for all countries acting in violation of international law, the "long term decommodification of housing", and the creation of a Future Generations Act to ensure that Government policy takes into account those not yet born.
The House of the People gathered over three days in London this week to deliberate, debate and generate policy ideas after discussions with experts, such as the economist Richard Murphy, the head of policy at Greenpeace, Doug Parr, and Leigh Evans, a nurse who has worked in Gaza. Around 100 people attended.
The Loopholes That Allow MPs' Corrupt Conflicts of Interests to Go Undetected
New research exposes the gaps in parliamentary rules which allow MPs to hide their donations, financial interests and client relationships from voters
Josiah Mortimer
Some 1,500 have participated in Assemble's local assemblies over the past two years. 50% of the "members" of the House of the People, which the organisers call a "parallel parliament", were drawn by sortition from those assemblies, with the remainder remaining recruited from the public.
At this week's assembly, members debated four themes - democratic renewal, unjust war and genocide, wealth inequality and climate breakdown - which were generated through local assemblies where people were asked what the problems are in their area, and what changes they want to see in the UK.
Ishana Atkinson told Byline Times the assembly had been "an incredible experience, I feel like I've learnt so much".
The 'Millionaire Exodus' the UK Media Told You About Never Actually Happened
The equivalent of 30 stories a day were published about an exodus of wealthy people that a new study finds was "non existent"
Josiah Mortimer
She continued: "I feel like I've gone in with a bit of understanding about the main topics we've been looking at; democracy, and unjust war and genocide, the environment and climate and also wealth inequality. I knew a little bit about each thing, but I feel like I've been learning a lot and also about how to synthesise a lot of information and turn it into actionable policies that we could recommend to the Government".
Assemble intends to use the proposals generated by the sittings to provide a policy platform that campaign groups can coalesce around and to put pressure on the Government, and push for change. This will include a "rush on parliament" in the style of the Suffragettes.
Small political formations across England, such as Southport Community Independents and Majority, a party run by Jamie Driscoll, the former Mayor of the North of Tyne, are working with Assemble to run local assemblies and generate policies that they believe are more likely to resonate with the electorate, because they've come directly from them.
ENJOYING THIS ARTICLE? HELP US TO PRODUCE MORE
Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
PAY ANNUALLY - £39.50 A YEAR
PAY MONTHLY - £3.75 A MONTH
MORE OPTIONS
We're not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
The first House of the People sitting attracted a more politicised, progressive-leaning section of the citizenry, but Assemble intends to make assemblies more representative.
Yaz Ashmawi, a facilitator at the assembly told Byline Times that he hopes people with different beliefs join the assemblies, arguing that they could play a vital role in combating the far-right: "The whole ...
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