Keir Starmer has made it clear he will govern for everyone, “country first, party second”. This is the kind of thing all new prime ministers say on the steps of Downing Street, but I sense that with Starmer it’s different. At some point in Labour’s first 100 days, I think the leadership will announce a major citizens’ assembly for the UK. His staff have been visiting the team behind the Irish citizens’ assembly, which created new political mandates on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. If Labour gets this right, it could be the key to galvanising the nation around its manifesto commitments.
Citizens’ assemblies are groups of people selected by lottery, much like jury service. They are demographically representative of the place in question, and they can help build consensus around divisive issues, and inform the public of policy nuances in areas where there is likely to be resistance and misinformation. They can also build solidarity between people, and give citizens a stake in political change. This is particularly relevant in areas such as health and net zero, on which communities can become divided at implementation. Just look at the conversation around vaccines, for instance, or the anti-Ulez protests.
