David Schley
The work of Unlock Democracy has never been more urgent, and the responsibility of Council – to guide the organisation, support staff, and help make difficult decisions about where we focus our limited resources – has never been greater.
I have actively served on the Council and Board, driven by my passion for social justice and my commitment to ensuring everyone in society has a voice and fair representation. I would love to continue to represent members and help the team deliver real change for democracy in the UK.
Democracy in the UK is under greater strain than at any time in recent decades. But I also can’t remember a time when there have been more opportunities for real change.
Unlock Democracy continues to lead the way in finding practical solutions that dismantle barriers to inclusive democracy in the UK, and genuinely put power in the hands of the people.
With a clear strategy and strong team I am confident we will secure more wins in the year ahead – such as those recently achieved in restoring the independence of the Electoral Commission, removing hereditary peers from the second chamber, and on voter registration.
As a serving member of the Council, I am proud to have actively represented members in steering the direction of the organisation. I have also served on the Management Board, overseeing day-to-day management, including oversight of finances and governance. I am keen to continue offering my skills, experience and commitment, driven by a desire to see a fairer society, where everybody gets to contribute to debate and open decision-making.
I’ve been delivering successful charity campaigns for over a decade, helping to influence policy and empower people with information to drive change. As a charity leader myself, I can contribute to governance and strategic planning, as well as providing expertise in government relations and influencing. I have a background in research, teaching and youth work, and am an active community volunteer.
Securing genuine democracy that is inclusive and transparent is essential if we are to find fair solutions to today’s societal problems – from housing and health to climate change and employment. Unlock Democracy is unique in putting forward the public case for constitutional change, and we must seize every opportunity to do so in the months and years ahead.
More people are recognising that our electoral system is broken: that we have an upper chamber bloated with unelected cronies and a Parliament that does not hold Government to account. The public have never been given the choice of proportional representation, with the case for PR diluted into a meaningless referendum on the Alternative Vote. Power has become more centralised, not less, with communities losing local accountability for things like education, and councils pitted against each other to fight for government funds.
My priorities for Unlock Democracy are to work closely with allied organisations to secure:
✓ Proportional Representation at Westminster
✓ An elected second chamber
✓ Transparent government decision-making that exposes corruption and cronyism
✓ Power devolved back to local communities.