A Queen’s Speech Damaging to our Democracy

Each Queen's Speech is an opportunity for the government of the day to set the tone and the direction of the next parliamentary session. 

This year was no different.

If Unlock Democracy had had any expectation that this would be a Queen’s Speech bedecked with measures to boost our democracy and strengthen the fundamental values of liberty and tolerance British citizens hold dear, we would have been sorely disappointed.

The Queen’s Speech contained measures to restrict the right to protest, make it harder to vote, cut back on Freedom of Information and scale back local democracy.

The content of the Queen’s Speech confirms Unlock Democracy will be busy in the next year.  More than ever we will have to rely on your financial support and campaigning energies.

We will continue to run a joint petition, which has the support of hundreds of organisations, which calls on the government to abandon their plans to curtail the right to peaceful protest.

With a wide cross-section of organisations we will fight plans to introduce Voter ID at polling stations which is a very costly, unnecessary and complicated measure. This is especially true when we consider that there are far greater priorities for the Government to concentrate on.

We will hold the Government to account on plans to exclude the new £800 million Advanced Research and Innovation Agency from Freedom of Information (FOI) laws.  The Information Commissioner’s Office, which is in charge of FOI, says there is no justification for this.

We will rally Councillors from all parties against Government plans to impose yet more central government controls.  The UK is already one of the most centralised countries in Europe.

To demonstrate there is an alternative approach, and a path to a democracy fit for the 21st century, we even produced our own short electoral integrity bill with the Electoral Reform Society and FairVote UK.

It is going to be a bumpy ride, but with tens of thousands of members and supporters behind us we can make democracy’s voice heard.

Thank you for your support.