Take Back Parliament

Why I’m campaigning to Take Back Parliament

Elliot Folan is 16 and one of our North London activists.  He has been campaigning with Take Back Parliament since its beginnings immediately after the May 2010 elections.

 

"I should begin by saying that it’s entirely down to Take Back Parliament that I’m a political activist. Going up to the protests outside Parliament made me finally feel that politics is real, relevant and important - and that not all MPs are expenses-hoarding duck-house owning fools, ignorant of the people who elected them. In a way, by energizing me and making me feel I can change things, it led to me joining the Green Party.

I’m campaigning for electoral reform because I believe it will make Parliament more representative, more accountable and - crucially - that it will make MPs of all parties work together. As a History student, I know that the politics of England has been for too long geared towards mighty contests of will; between the King and the People, between the Whigs and Tories, between Labour and the Conservatives, between “left” versus “right”. This might have been fine in 1295, when our Parliament was born. But it’s not 1295 anymore.

The legacy of FPTP is the past fifty years of argument, war, anger and frustration. Any decision taken by Labour was reversed in five years’ time by the Tories; any decision taken by the Tories was reversed in five years’ time by Labour. It’s happening again right before our eyes - to the NHS and to public services. As an old song laments; When will they ever learn?

In North London, we are doing plenty of campaigning for reform. We’ve promoted the Eye See Purple gig in Kilburn; we’ve taken to the streets of Camden; we’ve gone to Speaker’s Corner; we’ve joined forces with South and West London to go to Wimbledon; we’ve turned part of North Finchley purple and even gained press coverage, and next week we have a stall at Friern Barnet’s summer show. We have a blog, a Twitter account, and a Facebook page - we’re even planning a Youtube page and Flickr page in addition to those.

The winning tools are often just a simple street stall, with purple ribbons and signs, and plenty of petition forms and leaflets. But what makes it work - really work - is the people. Campaigners from all walks of life have joined together, set aside party politics, and are working together for the good of all parties, people and voters.

In the coming months I hope that we can engage the pro-PR and pro-AV parties in North London; the Labour, Green and Lib Dem parties. They, too, must set aside partisan politics and work together. The maxim of “Divide and Conquer” is on the cards for many Tories; one-sided misinformation is coming from the press already.

The only way to defeat it is grassroots campaigning; door-knocking, street canvassing and a continuous purple presence. North London, I think, is leading the way. In the coming months, we can only do better, both nationally and locally.

I see the Alternative Vote as the last time we have to weigh up the chances; I see AV as the Last Great Tactical Vote."

 

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