BRENT GREEN PARTY WELCOMES PM’S GAMBLING REFORM ANNOUNCEMENT BUT WARNS OF A "LONG ROAD AHEAD" AS ANOTHER WEMBLEY GAMBLING LICENCE IS GRANTED

Brent Greens campaigning against against gambling centres

 

From Brent Green Party

    

BRENT, LONDON Brent Green Party has cautiously welcomed the Prime Minister’s recent briefing announcing the intended scrapping of the controversial "aim to permit" rule under Section 153 of the Gambling Act 2005, over 20 years after its introduction by a Labour government.

Like many campaigners, affected families, and individuals who suffer from gambling harm, the Brent Green Party strongly supports ending the legal presumption that leads local authorities to believe they have no option but to approve new betting shops, casinos and 24-hour Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs).

However, the Brent Green Party warns that without a published White Paper, statutory document, or formal government policy roadmap, the announcement remains little more than a press statement. With legislation unlikely to be introduced until early next year, and heavy corporate industry lobbying expected during consultations, the "aim to permit" mandate will continue to hamstring local councils for the foreseeable future. The announcement also has no impact on the 80+ betting shops and casinos already in operation across Brent.

Furthermore, we have deep concerns about the Labour government’s true resolve to implement meaningful reform, given the government's close financial ties to the gambling industry; public records show the Labour Party and senior ministers accepted over £1 million in donations and gifts from betting executives and industry bodies in recent years, including a £25,000 leadership campaign donation to Keir Starmer from the head of Bet365 and VIP event hospitality for key Cabinet members. 

Gambling Harm Continue to Costs Brent £18 Million Annually

According to estimates from GambleAware, gambling-related harms cost the London Borough of Brent over £18 million every year. Despite these devastating economic and social impacts, local communities remain largely powerless under the current statutory framework. Where Green Party ward representatives are active, they have successfully mobilised residents against proliferation:

Willesden Green Ward: In June, a controversial Adult Gaming Centre application was formally rejected by the licensing committee following strong community opposition. This decision was unprecedented in the history of Brent.

Kilburn Ward: A major bingo hall/gaming application was forced into withdrawal ahead of its scheduled committee hearing in July due to organised local pressure.

This record contrasts with a recent decision of Brent Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee which granted a new premises licence to 312 Investments Limited to operate an Adult Gaming Centre at 574 High Road in Wembley Central, a ward represented by the Liberal Democrats at council level.

Speaking on behalf of Brent Green Party, Cllr Suzanne Gallagher said:

While we welcome the Prime Minister’s recognition that the 'aim to permit' rule is broken, a press briefing does not stop fixed-odds betting terminals or 24-hour slot machines from opening on our high streets today. Under Brent Labour, the industry has exploded in our borough with over 80 gambling venues, including ten within a ten minute walk of each other in Harlesden.

Furthermore, this announcement must be coupled with a comprehensive strategy to encourage local independent businesses to not only survive, but thrive. Small, independent enterprises present on our High Streets are currently suffering under punitive rent increases, extortionate commissions demanded by delivery platforms like Uber Eats, and a broader cost-of-living crisis impacting essential utility bills. The Green Party believes in actively promoting and protecting the local businesses that enrich our communities and drive our wider circular economy ambitions.

The recent approval of yet another gaming centre in Wembley Central where local representatives failed to even show up to the hearing to defend their residents proves exactly why we cannot wait months or years for legislative promises. The Brent Green Party will continue the good fight against gambling harms alongside our communities, pushing back against applications that threaten our town centres.

Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre offered a lifeline and will re-open in April - but a sustainable long-term solution is needed

 

 Brent Green Party has opposed at least three attempts to close the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre. Last summer it looked as if it might have closed for the last time. A petition was rapidly organised as soon as the decision of Thames 21 to withdraw was heard. It was presented at the first available Brent Council meeting in September 2025 supported by  Brent Green Party, Brent Friends of the Earth and Brent Parks Forum. Informal support was provided by Janes' Cafe at the nearby Garden Centre who had the paper petition on their counter.

Yesterday Brent Council issued a statement saying that £30,000 had been found to enable the Centre to open again in the huts that had been scheduled for demolition. Thames 21 will be involved again.

Martin Francis, who presented the petition said:

Of course I welcome the lifeline that has been thrown to the Centre just ahead of the May local elections. However, the devil will be in the detail. The original idea was that the WHEEC would have space inside the proposed new build  SEND 16-25 Skills Centre. Now it appears that £30,000 is to be spent on the old WHEEC classrooms that were due to be demolished to accommodate the Centre. They are extremely dilapidated and were flooded over the winter. A lot of work will be required to make them safe for the resumption of school bookings in April.

The involvement of Thames 21 is positive but we will need to see business plans that ensure viability regarding running costs including staff costs, and the  affordability for cash-pressed primary schools of the charges made per pupil.

Greens on a roll as they launch their 2026 Brent Council election campaign

 

Some of the Green candidates  standing in the May local election (Credit: Nick Woollard)

 

Brent Green Party launched its campaign for the Brent Council May Election on Sunday full of the joys of Spring following  Hannah Spencer's amazing Manchester by-election win. They could not have chosen a better time to get motivated to win as many seats as possible on May 7th.

Amanda Alexandre, Green candidate for Harlesden and  Kensal Green ward, said:

Since the election of Hannah Spencer, we have received many heartfelt congratulations from residents across the borough - on the street, at the cafe, on the allotment. Our membership has also increased to over 700 and more than £350 in donations have been donated to our crowdfunding campaign since Friday.  All this support has unlocked a new level of ambition for Brent Green Party for the elections of May 7th  

The launch began with speeches from some of the candidates explaining why they were standing for the Greens:

 

 

This was followed by training in canvassing for the many members who are new to politics and knocking on doors for the first time. There was lots of enthusiasm for getting started with a number of Action Days taking place across the target wards in the weeks ahead. 

 

Stressing the participative nature of Green Party politics, members then broke into small groups to share ideas for the upcoming Brent Green Manifesto with the emphasis on fresh and imaginative policies. This produced some very animated discussion as can be seen from the photographs of excited participants below:

 

Credit: Nick Woollard    

 

Credit: Nick Woollard    

 

 

Credit: Nick Woollard   

 

Credit: Nick Woollard   

 

Children were welcomed to the event and enjoyed badge making and drawing, and the food and drinks of course.

 

 

Credit: Nick Woollard    

 

 

It was a friendly and convivial gathering with lots of new connections made as well as old friendships consolidated, boding well for the challenge ahead.

 

 

 

Credit: Nick Woollard   

 

Credit: Nick Woollard    

 

 

Credit: Nick Pollard   

 

 

Credit: Nick Woollard   

  

 

Credit: Nick Pollard    

  

 

Finishing with some young singing and song writing talent    Credit: Nick Woollard

 

NOTE: Membership of Brent Green Party passed 700 today with many joining after Hannah Spencer's by-election victory.

 

If you would like to support Brent Green Party's 2026 Election Campaign uou can donate to the crowdfunder HERE. 

 

 

Published and promoted by James Paton on behalf of Brent Green Party and its candidates c/o 23 Saltcroft  Close, Wembley, HA9 9JJ.

Green candidate's powerful speech on NHS cuts in Brent as she presents 570 signature petition

 

 

Zengha Wellings Longmore has presented the 570 signature petition calling on Brent Council's Scutiny Committee to examine proposals to reduce the hours of the Urgent Tratment Centre at Central Middlesex Hospital. 

You can listen to her speech on the video above. This is what she said:

      

Chair, councillors, and members of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee,

 

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today.

 

I am here not just as a concerned resident, but as someone whose life is deeply rooted in this borough. I have lived in Harlesden for over forty years. My mother lived in Kensal Green. My grandchildren now live in Harlesden. Three generations of my family have depended on the services in this area — especially our NHS services. So when I speak today, I am speaking from lived experience, from memory, and from a deep sense of responsibility to the future.

 

We are here because of proposals to reduce the opening hours of the Urgent Treatment Centre at Central Middlesex Hospital by three hours a day — twenty-one hours a week. That may sound like a technical adjustment on paper, but on the ground it means real people being turned away, longer journeys late at night, and more pressure on already overstretched services elsewhere.

 

We have been here before:

In 2014, the A&E department at Central Middlesex Hospital was closed following a decision by the then Conservative Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. At the time, residents were told not to worry. We were told that an Urgent Care Centre would mitigate the loss of A&E. We were told this was a safe alternative.

 

Then in 2019, that reassurance was weakened when the overnight service was withdrawn and the opening hours were reduced. Many of us accepted that change reluctantly, but we were assured that the service would still meet local need.

 

Now, six years later, we are being asked to accept yet another reduction. The Urgent Treatment Centre currently closes at midnight. Under the new proposals, it would close at 9pm. That is not a small change. That is a fundamental erosion of access to urgent healthcare.

Let us be clear about what this means in practice.

People do not stop becoming ill or injured at 9pm. Children still fall, older people still become unwell, workers still come home hurt or exhausted after long shifts. A late-evening urgent care service is not a luxury — it is a necessity, especially in an area like Brent.

 

What makes these proposals even more difficult to understand is that they come at a time when Brent’s population is growing, not shrinking. Between 2011 and 2021, Brent’s population increased by 9.2%. That is significantly higher than the national average and higher than London as a whole. We also know that our population is ageing, with more people living longer and often with complex health needs.

 

On top of that, major developments are coming on stream across the borough — in Grand Union, Alperton, Wembley Central, and around Neasden stations. Thousands more residents will be moving into Brent. Yet instead of planning for increased demand, we are being told to accept reduced access to urgent care.

 

The question must be asked: how is Brent’s growing and ageing population supposed to cope?

 

We already know the answer. When services are cut at Central Middlesex, the pressure does not disappear — it simply moves elsewhere. Northwick Park Hospital A&E and its Urgent Treatment Centre are already under enormous strain. Reducing hours at Central Middlesex will inevitably push more people there, increasing waiting times and reducing the chances of people being seen quickly when they need it most.

 

And there is another, quieter consequence. When access becomes harder, some people simply don’t go. They wait. They hope it will pass. Conditions worsen. What could have been treated early becomes an emergency later. That is bad for patients, bad for staff, and bad for the NHS as a whole.

 

This is why we are firmly opposed to any further reduction in services at Central Middlesex Hospital.

What we are asking for today is not unreasonable. We are asking for transparency, accountability, and democratic oversight. We are calling on Brent Council to convene an urgent meeting of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee so that these proposals can be properly examined, questioned, and debated.

 

There is precedent for this. The 2019 changes to the service were considered by this very committee on 9 July 2019. That process allowed councillors and residents to scrutinise the impact and to ensure local voices were heard. That same opportunity must be afforded now.

 

This is not about politics. It is about people. It is about fairness. It is about recognising that communities like Harlesden, Kensal Green, and the wider Brent area deserve accessible, reliable urgent healthcare — not a slow erosion of services that have already been cut back too far.

 

I have lived here long enough to see what happens when services disappear quietly, bit by bit. Once they are gone, they are incredibly hard to get back. That is why this moment matters.

 

For my neighbours.

For my children and grandchildren.

For the people who work late, who care for others, who are vulnerable, who rely on public healthcare.

 

I urge this council to act now. Convene the scrutiny committee. Put these proposals on the agenda. Stand up for the residents you represent.

 

Thank you.

 

Cllrr Ketan Sheth responding said that the issue remains abasolutely on the Committee's radar and that it would be brought back at an appropriate time. 

Unfotunately the response is not as urgent as we would want it to be. The danger is that the cuts will be implemented before the Committee properly examines them. 

Zengha is a Green Party candidate for the 2026 council election in the Harlesden and Kensal Green ward. 

Brent Green councillors to take up committee positions and officially designated second opposition group

p> An Extraordinary Meeting of Brent Council has been called in line with constitutional rules to allocate the new distribution of committee positions This follows the move of 5 Labour councillors to the Green Party and the formation of a new Green Group, led by Cllr Mary Mitchell.

The Green Group becomes the second largest opposition group after the Conservatives taking over from the Liberal Democrats for the purpose of the Members Allowance scheme. LINK

The distribution of Committee seats:

 

A Christmas message from Brent's Green councillors

 

Dear Brent residents,

As the year comes to an end, we want to wish you a happy Christmas and a restful festive break.

It has been a difficult year for many people in Brent, with ongoing pressure from rising costs and stretched public services. At the same time, we’ve continued to see residents, community groups and volunteers supporting one another and standing up for what matters locally. That sense of shared responsibility is one of Brent’s real strengths.

Looking ahead to 2026, we remain hopeful that Brent can move in a fairer, greener direction — one that puts communities first and protects our shared future. We’re committed to continuing that work alongside residents in the year ahead.

Thank you for everything you do for your neighbourhoods and communities. We wish you and your families a peaceful Christmas and all the best for the new year.

Best wishes,

The five Green councillors in Brent

New Green Group on Brent Council: We are proud to be part of the Green Party's vision of hope and providing a real alternative to the status quo

Zack Polanski Leader of the Green Party introduces the Brent Green Group

A statement from the newly formed Green Group of Councillors in Brent Council: Cllr Tony Ethapemi, Cllr Erica Gbajumo, Cllr Harbi Farah, Cllr Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam, Cllr Mary Mitchell. 15.12.25

 

Like thousands of others, we joined the Labour Party because we believed in building a fairer society. As councillors, we took that mission into Brent, determined to stand up for the people who placed their trust in us.

Between us we have over 80 years membership of the Labour Party and over 30 years experience as local councillors representing our communities and advocating for residents. We have now come to the realisation that we can no longer play that role effectively while remaining within the Labour Party.

We always knew being a party of government would put the principles and values of the party to the test, but we have watched as on every issue this government goes further away from the founding Labour Party principles of democracy, social justice and equality.

We have a huge amount of respect for many of our hard working Labour colleagues and party members in Brent, but we don’t feel that the party represents the values we hold any longer.

We want to represent a party that believes in radical overhaul of our systems to tackle the cost of living crisis and rising inequality, including wholesale reform of our tax system to ensure that the richest pay their way, rather than tinkering around the edges.

We want to represent a party that recognises that there is a not just a conflict, or even a humanitarian emergency, but a genocide taking place in Gaza, one with British roots and one that we are supporting through arms sales and criminalising peaceful protest.

We want to represent a party that recognises that people and planet are inextricably linked and that we need to do much more to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises. That this is not something that will only affect our children, but is a case of national security here and now.

We want to be members of a party that has a real and open conversation about national identity & community cohesion and that doesn’t scapegoat immigrants, a party that maintains its international obligations to asylum seekers and stands firm against racism.

We want to be members of a party nationally and locally that values diversity of opinion rather than a top-down structure with no space for difference, that silences and expels members who speak out against the party line. We want to shape politics differently in Brent.

We did not enter public life to serve a party machine - we entered it to serve our residents and we will not abandon that duty. That is why we are today resigning our membership of the Labour Party, and joining the Green Party, becoming the first Green Group of Councillors in Brent.

We are proud to be part of the Green Party’s vision of hope and to be providing Brent residents with a real alternative to the status quo. Because there is an alternative. An alternative to austerity. An alternative to a politics that tells you “there’s not enough money” whilst billions keep flowing into the pockets of the wealthy and we continue to chase economic growth at all costs.

Today marks a new chapter in local politics in Brent, rooted in accountability and a commitment to environmental and social justice.

We invite all who share this vision to work with us in offering Brent a real alternative. Together, we can build a Brent that puts people before profit, public good before private greed and hope before fear.

 

Greens call on Brent Council to scrutinise proposed reduced hours (21 hours per week) at Central Middlesex Urgent Treatment Centre

 

Table from 2019 overnight closure proposal

 

In 2014, Central Middlesex hospital A&E department closed following a decision from the then Conservative Heath Secretary Jeremy Hunt. At the time, we were told that the opening of an Urgent Care Centre at Central MIddlesex hospital would mitigate the loss of the A&E department. However, in 2019, the hours of the Urgent Care Centre were reduced  when the overnight service was withdrawn.

 

Six years down the line, we are faced with yet another reduction of the now named Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at Central Middlesex hospital. The Centre currently closes at midnight but, if London NW University Healthcare Trust go ahead with their proposal, it will close at 9pm.

 

The curtailing of the services at the Central Middlesex hospital is even more incomprehensible because it runs contrary to the evolution of the demographics in Brent. The Brent population went up by 9.2% between 2011 and 2021. This is a significant increase which is both higher than the population rise in England (+6,6%) and the population of rise London (+7.7%). How is Brent's growing and ageing population supposed to cope with a reduction in urgent care treatment?

 

Brent Green Party is therefore firmly opposed to a further reduction of the NHS services that will undoubtedly put more pressure on Northwick Park Hospital A&E and its Urgent Care Centre and will lead to fewer people getting the required medical attention as quickly as necessary, in the best-case scenario.

 

We call on the current plans to reduce the Urgent Treatment Centre hours by 3 hours each evening to be added as an urgent item to the Agenda of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee taking place on Wednesday November 19th. Failing this an Extraordinary Meeting should be called to consider the issue as the next Scrutiny will not be until January 2026 – too late to affect the decision.  We note that the 2019 proposals were considered by that Committee on July 9^th 2019 setting a precedent for the views of the Council and residents to be represented.

 

The reasons for the reduction in hours put forward this time are almost the same as previously, gradually taking away the service from Brent and nearby boroughs.

 

Zengha Wellings-Longmore, Green Party candidate for the Harlesden and Kensal Green council ward said:

 

“The cut is now proposed at a time when the Urgent Care Centre and A&E at Northwick Park Hospital are encountering heavy demand with extremely long waits outside the recommended parameters.

 

At the same time the local population is expanding through developments at Old Oak and Park Royal Development Area, Grand Union, Neasden Stations, and Alperton. Alongside this are potential critical incidents at Wembley Stadium, Wembley Arena and on the Park Royal Industrial Estate.

 

It is vital that the impact of the reduction in service be considered and that the cost and long-term benefits of upgrading late night resources at the UTC be considered instead.

 

We note that the closure of the Hydrotherapy Pool at Northwick Park Hospital recently took place without any Scrutiny by Brent Council.”

 

 

Brent Green Party statement on defections as membership soars

 

Brent Green Party leaflet session at Roundwood Lodge Cafe

Following the deselection of 8 Brent Labour councillors last month and ex-Labour Cllr Rajan-Seelan crossing the floor to join the Conservative Party today, we are aware that there is some speculation about current Labour Party councillors joining the Green Party - and potentially becoming the first Green Party councillors in Brent. 

We would be delighted to welcome anyone who shares our values of social justice, environmental responsibility, and community wellbeing to join a membership that has more than doubled since mid-October and continues to grow.

In this context, we think it’s important to inform everyone that joining the Green Party as an elected representative is a formal process of due diligence that may or may not result in a defection to the Green Party. 

The interested party needs to express an interest in joining the Green Party - they won’t be invited to defect to the Green Party. They also need to go through an interview process with the central Green Party office. 

Following this interview and a general scrutiny process, the central office will give their opinion about a possible defection and the local party will have a say in the matter as well. 

We have started our selection process for May 2026  and we’ll continue to do so over the coming weeks. 

If you wish to help with our election campaign please email contact@brent.greenparty.org.uk

Brent Council consider pause on student housing in Wembley

 

 

A drastic slow down in conventional home building in Brent  and a boom in purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) has led to fears of an unbalanced community, particularly in the Wembley Growth Zone.

In 2023-25 planning permission was granted for 8,000 conventional homes in Brent but there were only 656 net additionas to housing stock. Delays were blamed on shortages of labour and materials and updated safety requirements. 

Meanwhile the PBSA figures (bedrooms) were:

Completed 6,257

Under construction 1,617

Permitted/approved 1,559

Awaiting decision  2,010

 In discussion but declared acceptable by planning officers 918

 

The Wembley Growth Area 

Most of these are in the Wembley Growth area LINK:

As identified however, the spatial distribution of PBSA provision has been focussed on Wembley Growth Area where to date 6058 bedspaces have been constructed. Currently 21.8% of the Growth Area’s population is students either in PBSA or in all student households renting homes.

 

A further 1617 PBSA bedspaces are under construction and planning committee has been minded to approve 759 more bedspaces, subject to an appropriate S106 obligation. Some sites are subject to current applications and others are also in relatively advanced pre-application discussions where the principle of PBSA has been identified as acceptable. If all delivered, a further 3500 student bedspaces could be supplied in the next 3 years, resulting in 9558 bedspaces in total. It is anticipated that 1871 additional dwellings will be completed in the area in the next 3 years. Students would in three years comprise 26.8% of the overall population.

 More than a quarter of the total population would be students and this is not considered appropriate in terms of a balanced community. A planning statement is proposed that would pause  PBSA building. The officers' report suggests this would enable building of conventional housing to catch up and the student proportion of the total population would return to an acceptable 20%.

As this is an interpretation of policy in relation to clarifying the position in terms of PBSA over-concentration/ supporting balanced and mixed communities, rather than writing new policies, it is suggested that the Council issues a policy position statement. Although not officially recognised in planning statutes as a Local Development Document or perhaps having the weight of a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), if consulted upon and following the same processes as a SPD, once adopted by the Council it can be regarded as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications with some weight.

 

This will provide clarity to prospective developers or investors in PBSA, particularly in Wembley Growth Area that, other than schemes already subject to approval or with clear advice from the Council through the pre-application process that the principle of PBSA is currently acceptable, the Council is unlikely to support their scheme in the short term.

 Given developers' enthusiasm for profit-making student accommodation and the limited legal status of the 'planning statement' we may well see appeals in the future if applications are refused. Backbenchers have expressed disquiet at the amount of student accommodation being approved versus the lack of truly affordable housing. Whether building of normal homes will actually accelerate is currently unclear but as an interm measures is proposed PBSA developers rather than providing a proportion of afford student accommodation would instead make a contribution to the building of affordable homes elsewhere in the borough.

 

Could you be a Green Party candidate in the 2026 Brent Council election?

 

 

Green Party councillors come from every walk of life but share a common set of values: a reminder that local government is there for all local people. Representing local people and working with them is what we do best. You may already be a campaigner, community activist, involved in your local church or mosque, or a local school governor. You might be in full-time or part-time work, retired or self-employed across profession, job or vocation. Ultimately, if you really care about your area, and want to work to make it the best place it can be, becoming a Green Party councillor could be for you.

We are advertising here in case you are interested in becoming a candidate for the 2026 Brent Council election. We want to give everyone in the borough a chance to vote Green.

Please give this opportunity serious consideration.

We are looking for a diverse range of candidates and these can be people who are not currently members of the party but are sympathetic to our aims and want to make a difference.

If you are interested or want to know more please email Brent Green Party Coordinator, James Paton jamespaton1@hotmail.co.uk

Vote Greens on to Brent Council today: Wards and Candidates

Brent Labour needs more balance. Vote Green tomorrow.

 

Vote Green in the Brent Council election on May 5th - Protect Our Environment, Address the Climate Emergency, Hold Brent Council to Account

Vote Green Party in Brent on May 5th

In the local council election on May 5th you'll have 2 or 3 votes. Please consider giving just one of your votes to the Green Party. With green voices on the council we can have cleaner streets and a healthier environment. Green councilors will hold the ruling Labour party to account and make sure the council listens to the people of Brent. So please, Vote Green on 5th May. To find out more about our policies and our candidates go to: http://brentgreens.blogspot.com/

 

The need for fair votes in local elections - including Brent!

The Electoral Reform Society has launched a campaign for a fairer voting system in local elections. Leafleting outside Sainsbury's in Willesden Green yesterday several people raised the issue of proportional representation.

This is what the ERS says:

It’s time for fair votes in English local government

Even though May’s local elections haven’t happened yet, many people already know their vote won’t make a difference. 

Local councils are supposed to represent their communities. But often the make-up of council chambers fail to reflect how people voted – The First Past the Post system throws millions of votes on the scrapheap. 

In London alone, 90% of wards with more than one councillor are represented by just one party, leaving hundreds of thousands of voters without a voice. 

It’s unfair, undemocratic and completely fails to represent the views of voters. But there is a better way. 

This election must be the last under our broken winner-takes all system. 

Northern Ireland has used the fairer and proportional Single Transferable Vote system for local elections for decades – and in 2007 Scotland joined them. Wales has given councils the right to choose. Now it's time England caught up.

It’s time for a proportional system where no one has to ‘hold their nose’ at the ballot box, and where there is healthy competition – rather than a politics of safe seats and ‘one-party states where everyone loses. 

Britain deserves a democracy where votes aren’t thrown on the electoral scrapheap – but where there is real choice and where our voices are always heard. 

Background

Local elections in England use the first past the post system, which means local councils often look nothing like how people vote. Here are just a few of the recent results.

 

USE THIS LINK TO SIGN THE PETITION