Citizens’ assemblies, of ordinary people like you, selected like a jury, bring people together to make decisions we can all trust, tackling the topics we really care about like housing, health care, and the cost of living.
Even the government calls the House of Lords “indefensible” and says it should be replaced "with an alternative second chamber that is more representative” so let's build the movement NOW to demand that the Lords be scrapped and replaced with a House of Citizens.
Every pound you give will help grow the movement and make our campaign too big to ignore! Every pound will help us attract new supporters, organise regional meetings, and campaign hard to replace the House of Lords with a House of Citizens.
www.858.org.uk
Join the movement for permanent and powerful citizens’ assemblies and pledge now!
Why do we need permanent and powerful citizens’ assemblies?
- People trust citizens’ assemblies four times more than politicians.
- We need to bridge the divides opening up in Britain and bring ordinary people – nurses, engineers, shopkeepers, teachers, and business people – together to make decisions.
- Trust in politics is at a historic low and politicians are out of touch with everyday life.
How do we get permanent and powerful citizens’ assemblies?
- We start with regional citizens’ assemblies – we’re already on the ground organising grassroots groups in Greater Manchester.
- We use a permanent assembly in Greater Manchester as a stepping stone to even more regional assemblies – proving that citizens’ assemblies make decisions that people trust.
- From regional assemblies we build a national movement with you and people like you, that’s too big to ignore.
- We demand the House of Lords be replaced with a House of Citizens.
Need even more reasons? Here’s some!
- The House of Lords is a relic of the past, an outdated system marred by patronage and favours, that doesn't represent us.
- The House of Lords is the biggest legislative chamber in the world outside of China, and it’s indefensible, unaccountable and elitist.
- Right now real Lords reform is on the cards and the government has committed to more in the future. Parliament is debating the Lords Hereditary Peers Bill and amendments are proposed calling for more citizens’ assemblies.
- Our chance to upgrade our political system for the 21st century is now!
Who is supporting our campaign to create permanent and powerful citizens’ assemblies? Here are just a few of the people who have endorsed our campaign:
- Delia Smith, Author, cook and television presenter
- Sir Mark Rylance, Actor and activist for progressive change
- Keisha Thompson, Writer, Performance artist, Producer
- Graham Allen, Labour MP for Nottingham North, 1987-2017
- Tom Brake, Director of Unlock Democracy, Liberal Democrat MP 1997-2019
- Marine Tanguy, Best selling author, CEO of MTArt Agency
- Matthew Flinders, Professor of Politics, University of Sheffield
- Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive, New Economics Foundation, author of "Power to the People”
- Anthony Barnett, Author, Co-Founded openDemocracy
- Ekaterina Jalliffier-Merlon, Deputy Director for Europe and MENA at the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP)
- Nicolas Gruen, Economist, Visiting Professor King’s College, London
- David Van Reybrouck, Historian, Author of “Against Elections”
- Hugh Pope, Author, journalist, Former Director at the International Crisis Group
- Jamie Kelsey Fry, Managing Director, One World Or None, contributing Editor at New Internationalist.
- Your name should be here!