Jess Metheringham, Unlock Democracy

In the middle of a crisis, it’s hard to think of anything except the crisis. One day, though, we will return to something like normal — a different normal, a normal-after-upheaval. The question is less about what will the new normal look like, and more who will shape it. 

What would a better normal look like? What would a better democracy be? One which hears every voice, one which scrutinises and tests, and one which is transparent and accountable. Who is going to decide what the future is like?

I want political issues discussed as part of everyday conversations, and I want citizens to feel that they can contribute to the debate. I want a better framework to talk about our changing climate, the causes of migration, or what money buys us. I want to be able to talk about our worries and our fears and our hopes, without feeling as though our priorities go unheard. 

Of course a crisis like the current pandemic calls for special powers, and it’s important that they are proportionate and temporary. However, the fact that the UK doesn’t have a written constitution makes it easier for a good democratic system to slip away. Powers which were supposed to be temporary simply end up staying, and before we know it we have lost a little bit more freedom. 

Unlock Democracy is working for a better democracy upheld by a written constitution. When the crisis is over, we want to rewrite our democracy so that everyone can take part. We want a democracy which talks about the important issues — so, tell us what you think those issues are, and let’s start the conversation early.