"An unmitigated failure, or a heart-warming success?" Flatpack Democracy's founder Peter Macfadyen on the ups and downs of their May 2021 election campaign

From The Guardian

Following on from our recent blog which reported research on the councillors that got involved in Flatpack Democracy’s 2021 local government campaign, we’re delighted to run a short blog from Flatpack’s founder, Peter Macfadyen. He strategically drove the Flatpack 2021 campaign, and reflects on both obstacles and triumphs for “the first democratic governance Britain has ever had from the bottom up”.

Peter Macfadyen: Was it worth it?

The Alternative UK has consistently championed ‘Flatpack Democracy’ since its conception.  What is it, and what’s the interest about?  Broadly speaking, Flatpack Democracy means a bunch of people not affiliated to political parties, operating with a common ethos of positive cooperation, getting elected at a local level and then working to make the term ‘participatory democracy’ actually mean something.  

The concept is hardly new but gained momentum when a group of us set out to do this in Frome from 2011 onwards (and I wrote two books about it – the first on ‘how to do it’ and the second on lessons learnt).  A fairly small number of people read the book and evolved the basic ideas – most notably in revolutionary Devon.

Ten years later I was encouraged by a small but dedicated bunch of young activists to push the idea out much more widely in the 2021 local elections. We set out to impact regionally with large meetings (on zoom during lockdown), except that they weren’t very large.

Then we focussed on taking regions of the country where it was obvious the idea could have hugely beneficial impact, except it never really took off.  

Then we settled into regular, light, enjoyable, supportive weekly meetings for around 20 individuals and groups who understood that things had to change. We watched Jackie Weaver get shouted at in the viral video of Handforth parish council, pleased that at last more people would see how all too many councils operate. (Appalling behaviour in dysfunctional councils is far too common.) 

By May 10th around 16 towns had new councils dominated by groups who wanted to do things in radically different ways (and a couple of much larger councils).  Many of these new councillors are women!  Some are even young!! They all wanted to drag their councils into this century.

But was it worth it, both for those who stood and their local supporters and for those of us who organised the broader backup and training? Six months later some of those involved came together to see what happened next.  

The most depressing thing to report is that small groups of confident loud old men can dominate meetings and grind the life out of anyone.  (Well, what a surprise, I hear some of you say.)  And the systems that kind of exist to stop this bullying happening are totally and absolutely hopeless, especially when controlled by a town clerk who is in on the act (as they all too often are).  

Let me quote from private comments made to me about this process. For example: “many councillors felt very shaken and intimidated... It is a shocking situation whereby we are shut down or intimidated with threats each time”. 

While attempting to propose a climate change emergency, this particular group were told “that declaring a climate emergency would have serious and irrevocable implications for the town”.

It would mean ‘the death of the High Street’, as no drivers would be able to use the town, residents would have to stop using BBQs… [The council official] was very inflammatory....we were accused of being ‘criminally irresponsible’, wasting taxpayers money in seeking to create such a document.”

In this case, the group (which Flatpack supported) is in a majority. However, face with a constant tirade of abuse, they are only just hanging in there.

But we are only six months in. ‘Toxic’ councils are steadily coming round when battered with charm. In one town, where the group are in a minority, the council has A Plan for the first time. Steadily, attendance by the public at meetings is increasing. And a new civic pride is emerging.

Another town council had funded and supported their first Pride event (which definitely would not have happened before). They’ve also unearthed enough unspent reserves to employ four new staff, including an energy and carbon manager to support their Climate Emergency Declaration.

Time and again, people have spoken to me of the pleasure of getting to know each other deeply in the process of working so hard for change, and while building new relationships within their community.

The local elections campaign of Flatpack 2021 set out to support thousands of local councils in their quest - which was to adopt new ways of working, creating steps towards the first democratic governance Britain has ever had from the bottom up. 

In perhaps 15 or 20 places at most, things will change in fundamentally better ways for the people who live there. Is that an unmitigated failure, or a heartwarming success?

Contact Flatpack Democracy here