Form a Pro-democracy Group

The aims of a Pro-democracy Pressure Group are

1. To protect and possibly enhance our democracy. That is, to protect citizens’ voting rights by requiring a national referendum to consent to any changes to who can vote and to the “first-past-the post” voting system.
3. To encourage all our fellow citizens to become democrats.

The features of a Pro-democracy Pressure Group are

1. Each group is independent and so is responsible for its own acts. Later, there will be a support group that will act as a clearing house for ideas, experiences, lessons learnt, etc.
2. Each group should be organised in the same sort of way as other groups of volunteers like the Masons. So the group will need to fill offices like treasurer, fund raiser, convenor, event organiser, secretary, chairperson, archivist and so on. It is advised that these offices circulate among members so everyone gains skills and experience and later, empathy for those in office. All members, all of the time, should treat each other with respect and good manners even if some members dislike each other intensely. This the only way for the group to flourish.
3. Money is always of concern. Each group will have to finance itself in any legal way it can. It would be a great help if the group could gain charity status and be non-taxable. One point to make clear is that a group of democrats cannot form a political party because they ignore the content of any law unless it degrades our sovereignty. For example, we have no economic policy. However, if a political party puts forward a policy that has failed before, then we need to know why they think it will work in future. Similarly, if a policy that has worked before is ignored, we need to know why they think it will fail now. Also we need to be shown that their policies will be in the nation’s best interests.
4. Each group should set up its own website so we can share skills and knowledge and encouragement. Perhaps, it would help if all website names followed the same pattern like “democracySOUTHAMPTON.co.uk”

Attitudes and Procedure

1. We advise members to use democracy-speak in debates. In other words, we describe problems in terms of how our democratic rights are undermined or that the nation’s best interests are not being served. To each problem, we should propose at least one democratic solution that protects or even enhances our democracy. Further, we should be accurate in our choice of words. For instance, we should discriminate between the words like “terrorist” and “freedom fighter” and correct anyone who mixes them up, where terrorist is anyone who undermines a democracy by any means, especially using violence, and freedom fighter is anyone who undermines a dictatorship by any means, especially using violence. There are other pairs to discriminate between like patriot/nationalist and traitor/saviour.
2. Discussion of proposed laws can arouse deep feelings. So the group must draw a clear line between how a law is being processed and its content. Any member who feels strongly about content should express their feelings as a citizen outside of the group. Inside the group, members first assess a law by the way it will affect the quality of our democracy. If it appears to undermine our rights, we must actively oppose it until the law is clarified or amended to remove suspicious items. Note that we don’t give the benefit of the doubt to suspicious or vague clauses. The onus is on Parliament to make everything crystal clear and democratic. Secondly, we expect the proposers of laws to make it clear why their law is in the nation’s best interest. Further, if the proposed law supports a policy that has failed before, we need to be convinced as to why it should succeed in the future. Similarly, if a policy that has been successful in the past is not being used, then we need to know why. As democrats that’s as far as we can go. Decisions are made by Parliament. We are judging their performance in order to make our opinions felt at election time.
3. Another aspect we need to watch is what is Parliament doing with the power we have given it? For instance, Parliament has created an “independent” body called the Bank of England with the responsibility to control the inflation rate and it is given the power to set the bank rate. When the economy goes badly, it is tempting for the public to blame the Bank and not Parliament. This encourages Parliament to set up other “independent” quangos who exert unaccountable power. But what Parliament gives, it can take away. So ultimately we must hold Parliament responsible for the acts of its subordinates, including the judiciary. We can tolerate only one supreme decision-making body. By having control of Parliament, through the ballot box, we control all public bodies.
4. We have NOT given Parliament the power to subordinate itself to any other body. When PM John Major gave our sovereignty to the EU without a national referendum, he committed the most heinous anti-democratic crime in the history of the UK. If only, we democrats had been organised, we could have made ourselves felt.
5. “Sovereignty is not something you gain once and for all: you have to constantly fight for it.” Vladimir Putin.
6. Group meetings should be noted for the respect and friendliness that members show each other. It is the only way that groups can cooperate effectively for a long time..

Activities

To provide voters in our constituencies with evidence about the candidates so that voters can make informed decisions. One should be wary of making recommendations for/against any candidate. Let the data speak for itself. There are a variety of ways your data can be presented to the voters. Putting your data on your website is easy for reference for interested voters and for local democrats so that they sing the same song. But what promises to be the most effective means of getting through to the voters are pamphlets in envelopes addressed to the house occupiers whose names and addresses are on the electoral roll. But to improve coverage, the pamphlets could be used as readily available flyers and posters displayed in cooperative citizens’ windows.

1. Our pamphlets will need a headline like “Know who you are voting for” or “Know the candidates”. First, we provide the standard information of candidates’ names, their parties and whether they live in the constituency. It’s suggested that voters would like to know the candidates’ occupation, what political experience they have and about any voluntary work they do. Personally, we would like each candidate write up to, say, 200 words on what they think is important and what they want to do about it. Finally, we can draw attention to any candidate’s words and acts, but keep in an archive, those quotes from publications which provide the evidence.
2. There are various sources of information. As soon as the local authorities close the list of candidates, they will give the candidates’ names, party and whether they live in the constituency. A questionnaire can be sent to each candidate asking about their record and their wise words. One can be a bit cheeky and include questions such as “Do you (approve of /disapprove of /are undecided about) the principle of ‘government by referendum’ as in Switzerland?”. or “Every parent has the absolute right to check what and how their child is being taught. (Agree /disagree /Undecided)” If no reply to the questionnaire is received, then our pamphlet will say so, but it can still quote the candidate’s past words and actions if you can back it up with, say, newspaper cuttings. Further, you can point out any promises made by the candidates party that you think endanger our democracy or are not in the nation’s best interests. The party manifesto as published in the national press is a source of information or even better the party’s own version on the internet.
3. According to the problem being solved, the group can resort to various kinds of response: letters to the local MP or councillor (with multiple signatures of your members, preferably), letters to the media, adverts in the local press or radio station, the group can picket political offices or government building (or railway stations) with appropriate placards (“Negotiation, not intimidation”, “Give us a referendum”, “In our democracy, we share the gain and the pain fairly” etc), factual leaflets about local issues and representatives and so on. It should be great fun working together!
4. It is essential that our groups be active and draw attention to ourselves. The attention of the media is oxygen to our efforts. What we have to say is well worth saying. If we exclaim good sense clearly, our groups will gain creditability and people will come to value our advice.
5. It will be a long hard road to success, but we must steel ourselves with the thought that we are performing a vital task for our fellow citizens. We must keep each other’s spirits up.
6. “The greatest glory in living is not in falling, but in rising every time we fall. It’s the same thing with sovereignty of a state. We have to fight for it, not give up, not bend under external pressure.” Vladimir Putin.

Survival Skills

Seven things to do if you loathe your colleagues

1. Take time and space to deal with your irritations

If someone is getting on your nerves, it’s best not to confront them when you’re annoyed …Allow yourself to calm down, then ask for a formal meeting in a private space, Say, “I’d love to address something with you when you have a few minutes” …

2. be specific about irritating behaviour, then ask; don’t accuse

Once you have them in a quiet space, try the “SBI” technique, says Aviram. This stands for “Situation, Behaviour and Impact” So state the situation where it happened. Then state the behaviour you witnessed. … Then try to seek clarification and give them the opportunity to explain their perspective before stating the impact that this has had on you.

3. Find something you respect about the person so you can change your inner script

“Try this for two weeks,” advises Ingram. You can’t try another person, but you can change your reaction to them. … If you change the dynamic by being friendly and helpful, the other person will react differently …

4. be kind and get external help

“If someone is struggling with personal hygiene, this can often be a symptom of depression or mental health,” says Ingram. “Before you address this, notice what the person is doing well and give them positive praise so they will be more likely to see you as an ally. Then open up the conversation by asking: ‘How are you, because I noticed x, y and z and I was worried?” Have resources to signpost where they can seek help if they do open up. Be kind and supportive.

5. set a “team contract”

“Agree on some basic rules of engagement with your colleagues while you are working together, such as ‘I will be on time’, ‘I will be respectful to you. [ ‘Let us talk process, not content’ – ORS]” says Ingram. Set simple boundaries without singling anyone out.

6. do a personality test like ‘myers briggs’ or ‘enneagram’

Learning more about personality types will help you understand your communication style. … “Educate yourself about what types work best together and acknowledge the value of different communication styles and ask how you can work effectively together.” says Ingram.

7. seek more fulfilment

If all of these techniques do not work, maybe it’s you. “Often people are just in the wrong role, or their priorities or motivations have shifted.” says Aviram. … Take a step back and look at how you can do do things differently. “When you love your job, you’ll be a lot less irritated by your colleagues,” she says.

• Sarah Aviram, author of Remotivation: The Remote Worker’s Ultimate Guide to Life-Changing Fulfilment
• Sue Ingram, author of Fire Well: How to Fire Staff So They Thank You
• [Sorry for sticking my ORS in,]

Suzy Walker, Features, p6, The Daily Telegraph, 7 August 2023

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