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In April 2012, Bill Shorten, a minister in the Australian government, gave an interview that drew unusually wide attention, and has occasionally been circulated since. The topic was about Peter Slipper, the parliamentary speaker who had temporarily left his post in light of allegations of sexual abuse. Shorten was asked whether Slipper should return to…
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In an earlier post, I reviewed a book about Independents for Frome (IfF), who in 2011 took control of the Somerset town’s parish council and showed that a lot more can be done at this often neglected level of government. I’ve rather liked the story, because it challenges people’s assumptions about how politics should work.…
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A few aspiring assembly organisers I’ve spoken too have discussed the idea that a people’s assembly could stand independent candidates in elections. Is this a good idea? My personal opinion is that it’s better to wait and see where the assembly goes when you start it, and only make the decision about whether to stand…
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Western England is often associated with rural life and retirement, but it also has a number of quirky towns with a bohemian, independent atmosphere, such as Glastonbury, Totnes and Stroud. And then there’s Frome (read: “froom”), an attractive medium-sized town in Somerset. During a brief stopover there last year, I was struck by how friendly…
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This is the second of what’s really a two-part post. In my previous post, I discussed the wider need for assembly democracy in the world. This one is about the more direct benefits of a people’s assembly in your local area, and why you should start one. As discussed in my first post, a people’s…
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In my previous and first post, I explained what a people’s assembly is. This is the first of a two-part post in which I discuss why we need them. This first part discusses the problems that lead us there in order to understand the broad argument for assembly democracy. The second will discuss the benefits…
Assembly Project 