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Dear John,

This weekend we were at the Liberal Democrats’ conference, as part of our mission to fix our democracy, secure Proportional Representation, and push back against the rise of the far-right.

Our Head of Campaigns, Joe, joined the Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform fringe, co-hosted with the APPG for Fair Elections. Alongside MPs and campaigners, he pressed the case for a National Commission on Electoral Reform, a serious step toward finally delivering Proportional Representation for general elections.

Lisa Smart MP, co-chair of the APPG, said she was “optimistic” and put it plainly:

“Politicians make decisions or suddenly become in favour of things when they realise it’s in their personal interests. [After the next local elections, Labour will very likely] come to their own conclusions that actually Proportional Representation" is in their best interests to stop Nigel Farage becoming PM.”

Meanwhile, elsewhere at the conference, one line from Ed Davey particularly stood out: “Nigel Farage badmouths our country. He compares us to places like North Korea. He’s not in touch. He makes things up. He’s not a patriot. Trump’s America – don’t let it become Nigel Farage’s Britain.”

He’s right. Farage has built his career on selling mistruths and tearing communities apart for personal gain.

And yet, turn on the TV or scroll through the news and what do you see? Endless coverage of Nigel Farage and Reform UK. A study this month found that they featured in 20% of News at Ten bulletins – while the Liberal Democrats, with 14 times as many seats, appeared in only 6%.

This isn’t balance. It isn’t fairness. It’s a dangerous distortion of our democracy – one that gives the far right a platform to spread lies while undermining trust in Britain’s institutions.

The BBC alone has given Farage overwhelming amounts of airtime in since the last election, rarely challenging him on substance. Meanwhile, reporters obsess over whether Ed Davey should have opened conference with a marching band, instead of discussing issues raised there which actually matter: social care, policing, the climate crisis.

We’re fighting back – calling out Farage’s lies, challenging the platforms that give him a free pass, and making the case for a fairer politics. That starts with fixing our broken system through Proportional Representation.

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we can push back against Farage’s lies and deliver the change our country deserves.

All the best,

The Open Britain Team
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