Spokespeople available to mark the 200th Anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre and the ongoing fight for a better democracy

• Contact details: For bids/information, contact Jon Narcross, Communication Officer – 07794728820, mediaoffice@electoral-reform.org.uk
• Spokespeople at the Electoral Reform Society: Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society; Willie Sullivan, Senior Director (Campaigns and Scotland) and Jess Blair, Director, ERS Cymru

Electoral Reform Society spokespeople are available for comment/information on democratic reform and constitutional issues. 

Friday 16 August marks the 200^th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre when cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000–80,000 in Manchester who had gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation [1].

Two hundred years later the ERS are continuing the campaign for a better democracy – advocating on issues such as proportional representation, an elected House of Lords and extending the voting franchise to 16.

To mark the anniversary the ERS is working with the Politics for the Many campaign to host a major conference in Manchester on the 31 August. This is What Democracy Looks Like will bring together campaigners together to discuss the battle for a better democracy and how it can continue today.

The conference will be discussing why the poorest are still the least represented, energising local democracy, democratising the British state, the economics of democratic reform and adopting system-wide approach to corruption and corporatism.

Find our more about This Is What Democracy Looks Like: https://politicsforthemany.co.uk/event/this-is-what-democracy-looks-like/

The ERS are also available for comment on wider constitutional issues.

ENDS

Notes to editors

[1] https://www.redpepper.org.uk/200-years-from-the-peterloo-massacre-we-need-a-new-movement-for-real-democracy/

Politics for the Many is the trade union campaign for political reform: http://politicsforthemany.co.uk