Southport’s Valhalla Adventureland will host the launch party of Southport Community Independents on March 1st, with guests including independent MP Jeremy Corbyn and Andrew Feinstein in attendance. Southport Community Independents is a locally organised group suported by Assemble, who are funding and supporting people’s Assemblies across the country with the goal of putting local communities into the heart of our democracy. [1]
Along with local community members they will be visiting sites in Southport such as the Southport Mosque – which was the site of unrest sparked by far-right agitators in 2024 – before the event which begins at 2:30pm.
Independent Councillor Sean Halsall, of Southport Community Independents, said:
“For too long, politicians have asked for your vote and then very often taken it for granted. We want to ensure we are rooted in the community – making the decisions that are in the interests of the people who elect us, campaigning on issues that matter to and are led by you. We want to make a fundamental change to how politics works. We feel there is a dramatic problem when decisions aren’t made by the community, for the community.”
Assemble is a grassroots organisation with a plan to upgrade British democracy, stating: “The mission is to have local people like us making the important decisions about our country and our communities”. Assemble is supporting 15 communities from Cornwall to Glasgow to host open meetings (called Assemblies), each writing a Community Charter of five areas where politicians are failing them. Local concerns can be addressed by collective action, while national priorities will be handed up to the House of the People – a new democratic institution, open to the British public, meeting for the first time in 2025 to create a democratic mandate for the country. [3]
Bertie Coyle, an Assemble spokesperson, said:
“Communities own Britain. People should have a say in how their country is run – none of us voted for crumbling services, cold homes, and poisoned rivers. Assemble is supporting local communities to meet up and agree on what needs to change, and figure how to make those changes happen fast.”
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 nearly 1 in 4 British people are in favour of replacing the House of Lords with a permanent rolling citizens’ assembly. [4] [5]
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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.
[3] https://timetoassemble.org/house-of-the-people/
[4] https://www.sortitionfoundation.org/house_of_citizens_tops_public_poll_to_replace_the_house_of_lords
[5] https://www.sortitionfoundation.org/the_growing_trust_crisis_in_uk_politics