Today in East London, more than 2,000 people flocked to the ‘Summit of Resistance’, organised by a coalition of groups including Assemble. [1] [2]
Speakers at the event include Jeremy Corbyn, who recently attended the launch of Assembly group Southport Community Independents, as well as Andrew Feinstein, Grace Blakely, Owen Jones, Yanis Varoufanakis, and Assemble spokesperson Molly May Shelton.
Molly May Shelton, 25, said today:
“Proper democracy is badly needed right now, in all parts of our society. From community centres in Norwich to massive social festivals like today, there is electricity in the air. People understand that Democracy is about us all getting together and making serious plans for change. Parliament is being shown up as an outdated institution”
At workshops such as ‘Welfare Not Warfare: Mobilising Against Austerity and Benefits Cuts’, and ‘Party Time? A Discussion of Left Strategy’, Assemble supporters facilitated breakouts and guided group discussions to collect input and consensus on the topics under discussion. Many of the sessions were co-designed with Assemble to deliver an element of deliberative democracy, with outputs being fed into the radical new democratic institution the House of the People.
Attendees are also being invited to register to take part in the House of the People, by signing up to the free and open Democratic Lottery. [3]
Bertie Coyle, 30, a spokesperson for Assemble is also present at the event. He said:
“We’re supporting grassroots democratic Assemblies across the country, and we’re going to turbo-charge them on a national scale with the House of the People in July. It’s going to be ten times more representative than the House of Commons, and a million times more than the House of Lords. Join at HouseOfThePeople.UK.” [4]
A public-led institution like a House of the People will produce fairer, more effective, and more democratic outcomes than the existing parliamentary system, which is not fit for purpose. The recent election saw the lowest turnout and vote count for two decades, yet produced a prime minister with the strongest majority. Polls show that most British people are in favour of replacing the House of Lords, with a permanent rolling citizens’ assembly as the favourite alternative. [5] [6]
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Notes to Editors
[1] Assemble is part of the Umbrella movement which includes Just Stop Oil and Youth Demand. The group endorsed 26 independent candidates in the general election, including Shockat Adam and Andrew Feinstein.
The group is building a alternative home for the voice of the country, by inviting members of the public from all backgrounds and places to carefully consider the evidence and reach decisions on the biggest issues of our time, including the UK’s approach to the climate crisis, genocide, and poverty.
[2] https://wedemandchange.uk/
[3] https://www.houseofthepeople.uk/national-lottery
[4] https://www.houseofthepeople.uk/
[5] https://www.sortitionfoundation.org/house_of_citizens_tops_public_poll_to_replace_the_house_of_lords
[6] https://www.sortitionfoundation.org/the_growing_trust_crisis_in_uk_politics