Please come and join us for our Conservative Policy Forum meeting on Sustaining Our Democracy at 7pm, Monday 29th April to be held at Wadebridge Conservative Club.
In particular, please bring along guests - they do not have to be Party Members! Friends, family, acquaintances - particularly younger people, below the age of 35-40. This isn't a sales pitch to join the Tories, but rather an opportunity to express their opinion in a forum where there voice will be heard, and their ideas heard at the highest levels in politics. After all, a guest from our last CPF attended the PM's Policy Unit in Downing Street last month to explain her ideas in more detail
“Meeting the challenges that our democracy faces, and reaching the many different groups that we all must serve, requires us to work collaboratively with a range of
experts across the public, private and third sector.”
(Chloe Smith, Minister for the Constitution, 25 January 2019)
Sustaining Our Democracy
The first objective of the Cabinet Office is to “Maintain the integrity of the Union, ordinate the security of the realm and sustain a flourishing democracy.” So, it is worth starting by celebrating that the United Kingdom “is a stable democracy that regularly holds free elections and is home to a vibrant media sector.” Yet 100 years since some women gained a right to vote and 90 since the Equal Franchise Act, there are still certain groups in society who feel unable to register to vote or to take art in elections.
Questions for discussion
1. How can we strengthen the Union, ensuring that the government serves people in every part of the UK?
2. How can we strengthen public trust in civic institutions?
3. What more can be done to promote positive community relationships and a sense of “ownership” over local areas?
4. How can we encourage more people, especially young people, to participate in our democracy?
5. How can the Conservative Party more effectively reach out to diverse communities?
6. Are there any other questions you think should have been asked or observations you would like to make?
Regardless of what happens in the coming days and weeks this is important - 72% of the electorate voted in the 2016 EU Referendum (but we know how few 18-30s); 45% in the 2011 AV Referendum; since 2001 only 60-69% have voted in UK Parliament elections and 35-40% for MEPs in EU Parliament elections; total turnout for the 2018 local elections was only 35%!
I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the policy forum.
With regards,
John Russell
NCCA CPF Coordinator