http://www.power2010.org.uk/ en Copyright 2011 2011-05-26T11:01:16+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/party-funding-reform-the-price-of-our-politics/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/party-funding-reform-the-price-of-our-politics/ It's rare that you can identify a hinge on which our politics turns - but party funding is one of them. Parties play an important role in our politics - presenting competing understandings of the past, competing visions for the future for people to choose from. These are the dreams that animate our politics and quite frankly they must not be for sale. Over the past few years it seems you can literally hear our current system of party funding falling apart. Creak - dodgy donors. Creak - cash for honors. Creak - billionaires from Belize. We all feel it, the strains put on our democracy through the malign influence of big money upon it. The one place where we're all meant to be able to come together as equals to work out how on earth all the diverse peoples of this country are going to live together and we see influence transparently bought and sold. Party funding is a key dynamic through which big money subverts democracy, pushing politics closer and closer into line with its interests and values. Whatever your ideology, or view on where we should as a country be going, any democrat will agree that those decisions must be made in free and fair debate by the people - a debate currently distorted by a system of party funding which both allows donors to teach individual parties what to say and then ensures they have different sized megaphones to say it with! If you want to pick the song then speak to the organ grinder. Our political parties are too important to our politics for us to allow them to be subjected to such pressures. Without sustained and real pressure from civil society parties will not be able to reform their own funding systems - it is understandably difficult for them to work out what a fair system would be and then pass it through the mire of their conflicting interests. Take Back Parliament and the wider democratic reform sector should mobilise to set limits on the power of money on politics. We should strive to establish fair principles for party funding, negotiate the divergent interests of political parties, win the argument for our settlement and then force it through against the interests that will oppose us. 2011-05-26T10:01:16+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/rally-and-purple-light-show-kick-off-day-of-electoral-reform-for-a-yes/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/rally-and-purple-light-show-kick-off-day-of-electoral-reform-for-a-yes/ 2010-09-28T11:14:27+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/the-referendum-battle-starts-now/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/the-referendum-battle-starts-now/ 2010-07-09T11:27:36+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/bristol-take-back-parliament-says-yes-to-voting-reform/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/bristol-take-back-parliament-says-yes-to-voting-reform/ 2010-07-02T15:58:27+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/its-not-over/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/its-not-over/ When we began POWER2010, we were a small group of only a few hundred people. 2010-06-30T12:25:40+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/photo-blog-of-take-back-parliament-flower-laying-and-picnic/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/photo-blog-of-take-back-parliament-flower-laying-and-picnic/ 2010-06-15T09:47:37+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/demand-no-more-lords-from-the-coalition/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/demand-no-more-lords-from-the-coalition/ The House of Lords is an outdated, undemocratic institution. Our coalition government has promised us democratic reform, yet they're expanding the House of Lords. 2010-05-27T15:25:46+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/time-is-of-the-essence/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/time-is-of-the-essence/ The new coalition government has committed itself to rolling back state intrusion, with plans to scrap the ID card scheme, the National Identity Register, and the ContactPoint database. 2010-05-21T10:55:34+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/lets-take-back-parliament/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/lets-take-back-parliament/ 2010-05-12T14:25:12+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/demo-for-democracy-saturday-may-8th-2pm-trafalgar-square/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/demo-for-democracy-saturday-may-8th-2pm-trafalgar-square/ It's clear by now that this election has once again delivered an outrageous mismatch between votes and seats. 2010-05-07T14:17:15+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/proof-at-last-turkeys-will-not-vote-for-christmas/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/proof-at-last-turkeys-will-not-vote-for-christmas/ Although we have long thought turkeys would not vote for Christmas, there has been no data suggesting this to be the case universally. However, there has been a breakthrough. 2010-05-05T16:11:27+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/blowing-up-politics-in-the-21st-century-plymouth-and-exeter/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/blowing-up-politics-in-the-21st-century-plymouth-and-exeter/ In my first week collecting signatures and canvassing opinion for Power2010, I was struck by the levels of disillusionment with politicians. Asked whether they wanted to help clean up politics, a common response was "Guy Fawkes had it right!" 2010-05-04T10:02:10+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/camberwell-gets-a-slice-of-democracy/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/camberwell-gets-a-slice-of-democracy/ On the last Saturday before the election, residents of Camberwell and Peckham took to the streets on Saturday to demand a fairer voting system - and illustrated their case with two giant Pie Chart Cakes. 2010-05-02T20:06:23+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/blow-up-politics-in-witney/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/blow-up-politics-in-witney/ Politics really was in the streets on Saturday, as POWER2010 joined the major political parties in David Cameron's constituency in Witney for a final weekend of campaigning before the general election next week. 2010-05-02T19:23:23+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/putting-an-end-to-donkey-ocracy/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/putting-an-end-to-donkey-ocracy/ With just days to go before the election, our campaign for a fairer voting system is stepping up a notch. 2010-05-01T12:03:01+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/new-voters-new-politics-darren-johnson/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/new-voters-new-politics-darren-johnson/ Darren Johnson recently spoke at Power2010's New Voters, New Politics event on Tuesday. We asked each of the politicians to contribute a piece for our blog. 2010-04-30T13:50:00+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/new-voters-new-politics-hilary-benn/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/new-voters-new-politics-hilary-benn/ Hilary Benn recently spoke at Power2010's New Voters, New Politics event on Tuesday. We asked each of the politicians to contribute a piece for our blog. 2010-04-30T13:26:59+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/power2010-driving-democracy-forward-in-scotland/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/power2010-driving-democracy-forward-in-scotland/ The Power 2010 campaign hit the road across Scotland this past week, giving candidates from right across the political spectrum the chance to show the public that they are backing the Power Pledge. 2010-04-29T14:24:34+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/which-candidates-back-real-change/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/which-candidates-back-real-change/ We are just days away from one of the most important elections in a generation. 2010-04-29T12:26:57+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/luton-south-hustings/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/luton-south-hustings/ This Tuesday Power2010 hosted an interesting hustings in Luton South, in front of a packed Church hall of over ninety local residents. 2010-04-29T09:24:44+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/youth-support-smaller-parties-at-new-voters-new-politics/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/youth-support-smaller-parties-at-new-voters-new-politics/ Last night's event New Voters New Politics gave a sound insight into the nature of the youth vote in this election. 2010-04-28T13:38:18+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/lets-party-like-its-may-6th/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/lets-party-like-its-may-6th/ Just the other day the POWER2010 Rotten Boroughs report was released, which argues that safe seats make MPs unaccountable as they are so hard to vote out under the First Past the Post voting system. 2010-04-28T13:27:25+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/know-the-truth-about-hung-parliaments/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/know-the-truth-about-hung-parliaments/ Politicians are talking about the dangers of a hung Parliament - we thought you should know the truth. 2010-04-27T14:18:47+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/ignore-the-fear-mongering-about-a-hung-parliament/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/ignore-the-fear-mongering-about-a-hung-parliament/ There's been a lot of scare-mongering by certain vested interests about a hung parliament and the danger it poses to the UK economy. Here, Stuart Wilks Heeg, director of Democratic Audit, deals with some of the myths currently doing the rounds. 2010-04-27T14:04:26+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/the-ginger-revolution/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/the-ginger-revolution/ It is fair to say that there is a lot of energy behind political reform. Today, George Monbiot has published a piece in the Guardian urging a united assault on this rotten political system we live under. 2010-04-27T12:38:59+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/breaking-though-in-norwich/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/breaking-though-in-norwich/ There's a feeling of breaking through a bubble now in Norwich. 2010-04-27T09:55:32+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/candidates-blow-up-politics-in-brixton/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/candidates-blow-up-politics-in-brixton/ Candidates and voters got a chance to get up close and personal on Power2010's inflatable lounge in Brixton on Saturday. 2010-04-27T09:04:50+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/middlesbrough-sends-a-big-message-to-stuart-bell/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/middlesbrough-sends-a-big-message-to-stuart-bell/ Power2010 North East arrived in Middlesbrough with a giant letter to Sir Stuart Bell, Middlesbrough's sitting MP, asking him to commit to reform if he retains his seat in the new Parliament. 2010-04-27T08:53:41+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/huge-turnout-in-withington-manchester-for-power2010-debate-on-democracy/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/huge-turnout-in-withington-manchester-for-power2010-debate-on-democracy/ On Thursday 22nd the candidates for the constituency of Withington in Manchester came together to debate the issues surrounding the general election. 2010-04-26T15:23:51+00:00 http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/serving-up-democracy-in-bath/ http://www.power2010.org.uk/blog/entry/serving-up-democracy-in-bath/ Bath residents literally got a taste of democracy last weekend when two giant cakes were cut by Deputy Mayor Andy Furse. They were iced to showcase the benefits of electoral reform and how a proportional voting system would better serve the British people. 2010-04-26T09:08:06+00:00