Update: 11/06/2024


** 23 days to go - Here’s what you need to know.
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It’s manifesto week. Yesterday, we caught our first glimpse of the parties’ official platforms, beginning with the Liberal Democrats.

Their manifesto ([link removed]) contained numerous pro-democracy proposals including votes at 16, scrapping voter ID, introducing proportional representation, campaign finance reform, democratising the House of Lords, and enshrining the ministerial code into law (all recommendations covered in our Functional Democracy Goals report).

The party has also committed to rejoin the EU single market and a number of major reforms on climate, immigration, wealth inequality, housing and more. Ed Davey – like Carla Denyer’s Greens – seems to be looking to occupy progressive policy spaces largely ceded by Starmer’s Labour.

We commend the Lib Dems on a genuinely thoughtful pro-democracy platform, and we see it as a good opportunity to boost the salience of democracy issues in the ongoing election debate.

Unfortunately, we still live under a first-past-the-post political system, and the small parties simply aren’t going to get a fair shake. Even aside from the limitations of FPTP, current polling ([link removed]) suggests that Greens and Lib Dems combined may just barely beat out Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in terms of vote share. Given Starmer’s predicted 200-300 seat majority, the Labour manifesto (expected this Thursday) will be the best indicator of the chances of real reform.

Rishi Sunak’s Conservative manifesto came out this morning with a flagship plan to abolish National Insurance payments for self-employed people, instituting national service for young people, more immigration restrictions, and nothing whatsoever about improving democracy.

The Conservative’s platform is probably not worth paying much attention to (even if they miraculously turn Sunak’s campaign around), because they completely disregarded their 2019 manifesto once in power.

In other news…
* The first postal votes are being cast today, marking an official start to the election.
* Don’t forget that the voter registration ([link removed]) deadline is the 18th of June – make sure you’re registered!
* European far-right parties won big during last weekend’s EU Parliamentary elections. French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to call a snap election at the end of this month in a major gamble against Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally.
* Nigel Farage has reportedly cancelled a BBC Panorama interview ostensibly to be re-scheduled at a later date. Is he struggling under scrutiny?
* Speaking of Farage, video ([link removed]) has emerged of the Reform leader having concrete thrown on him while campaigning in South Yorkshire. Farage claimed it was the “violent left-wing mob who hate our country” – when it appears its just him they hate.

Thanks for reading.

All the very best,

The Open Britain Team
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