Compass joins forces with Sortition Foundation and other Democracy Network partners to call for the government to move forward with meaningful Lords reform and called for a citizens’ assembly to be part of a national conversation around a new second chamber for parliament.

The letter was printed in the Guardian on the same day that John Harris published an opinion piece on Britain empowering citizens which concluded: “It is time we had a 21st-century system of collective decision-making; without one, the problems that so terrify our politicians will only get worse.”

This week Clive Lewis MP also introduced a private members bill suggesting a citizens’ assembly should decide the future ownership of the water industry. Everyone is talking about trusting citizens to help clean up politics, it’s been 858 years since we first trusted our fellow citizens in juries, now it’s time to finish the job.

Here’s the letter to the Guardian in full:

“As a network of organisations working on power and democracy in the UK we welcome the second reading of the Hereditary Peers Bill this week. Although removing the indefensible hereditary peers from the Lords, whose title and position in parliament depends upon a quirk of birth, is a laudable first step, this reform does not go nearly far enough to restore trust and clean up politics.

We’re calling on the government to deliver on its manifesto promise of a proper consultation on the future of the Lords, including via a representative citizens’ assembly, to let the people decide who should be holding politicians to account and making sure laws are sensible and fair.

Continuing a system of political appointees risks accusations of cronyism and conflicts of interest. We need a second chamber that makes the most of the views and experience of a much more representative group.

We call on the Government to announce a timeline for the public consultation on wider Lords reform, and the means for doing it effectively, as soon as possible.

We believe that a citizens’ assembly as part of a national conversation would help ensure this public consultation would bring together people from all walks of life, to hear from experts, deliberate and make recommendations to be implemented by the government.”

Amna Ahmed Campaigns and advocacy lead, The Democracy Network
Tom Brake Director, Unlock Democracy
Sarah Castell CEO, Involve
Dr Simon Duffy President, Citizen Network
Nick Gardham CEO, Community Organisers
Brett Hennig Director, Sortition Foundation
Paul Inskip Outreach, Independent Constitutionalists UK
Matthew McGregor CEO, 38 Degrees
Nancy Platts Campaign coordinator, Politics for the Many
Lena Swedlow Campaign Manager, Compass