Open Britain joins MPs and experts in Parliament to discuss protecting democracy

Open Britain was in Parliament this week, joining MPs, constitutional experts and fellow democracy organisations to discuss how Britain can better protect its democratic institutions for the future.

The cross-party event, Future-Proofing Democracy, brought together parliamentarians and leading experts to explore what reforms are needed to strengthen democratic safeguards before they come under serious pressure.

The discussion was informed by two recent reports from the 99% Organisation, Defensive Constitutional Reform and Democracy on the Brink, and featured contributions from Professor Andrew Blick, Professor Christina Pagel, Tom Brake, Mark Thomas and Open Britain's CEO, Mark Kieran.

Speaking on behalf of Open Britain, Mark argued that protecting democracy isn't about keeping one political party out of power. It's about making sure the rules are strong enough that no government, of any political persuasion, can exploit weaknesses in the system.

The discussion explored a wide range of issues, from constitutional safeguards and democratic accountability to the importance of strengthening the rules that underpin British democracy.

The event reflected growing recognition across Parliament that protecting democracy requires long-term thinking and that robust institutions are essential to maintaining public trust.

Although parliamentary events cannot be recorded, we held a public webinar the previous week covering many of the same themes.

You can watch highlights from Mark's contribution here, or catch up with the full discussion by watching the webinar.