2024 General Election
THIS IS NOT THE CHANGE WE NEED
The climate and ecological crisis, the cost of living crisis, war and conflict, racism and social injustice have been allowed to unfold due to a fundamentally unfit political system that has been pitting rich against poor, black against white, justice against corruption for centuries. Nature and people are exploited for economic gain, which is needed to keep the system going. It is time to end this cycle of greed and destruction and bring decision making power where it belongs: with everyday people.
To tackle the many crises and injustices we are facing and to upgrade our democracy, Extinction Rebellion demands a UK-wide Citizens' Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice as a first step towards solutions that are fair, just, long term and implemented with the urgency that is needed right now.
There is still a lack of understanding and awareness about processes like citizens' assemblies. But deliberative democracy, which citizens' assemblies are a part of, has been around in civilisations as old as time and is seeing a resurgence in modern day politics: from France to Colombia, from Australia to India, Ireland, the US and here in the UK: everyday people are being tasked with complex problems to find a solution together. Citizens' assemblies are a proven mechanism for breaking political deadlock.
We campaign to show the power of ordinary people coming together; in NVDA, in citizens’ assemblies, and in community building.
Beyond Party Politics
XRUK is NOT campaigning for Proportional Representation, nor for individual climate and ecological policies. Nor do we support or promote any political parties.
No matter who wins, this is not going to save us
The main political narrative we are seeing blames 14 years of Conservative governments for what has gone wrong in the UK. But Labour has let us down too. The political system these parties operate in means that no party will be able to fully confront the various crises, including the climate and ecological emergency. The media, party donors, and business interests make it virtually impossible.
Steps to Creating Change
1. Make actions more impactful against the backdrop of a general election
2. Leverage the existing system to achieve our demands
3. Upgrade Democracy- 30th August- 1st September!
How to use the 2024 General Election campaign for impact
A General Election campaign throws up opportunities because of:
- The focus on policy and an unusually engaged public
- Much higher levels of UK media interest in local politics and campaigns.
However, most press interest and political leverage is focused on so-called battleground seats, and even in those, the bar is high for us to attract enough attention to be influential. There are two main opportunities for impact in this General Election campaign:
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Political Influencing
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The High Profile “Portillo Moment” Seats
This page has been put together in collaboration between Political, Actions and Media and Messaging to give resources and support to those wanting to take action in the run up to the General Election as Extinction Rebellion.
The Political Influencing Strategy
Interested in the political side of campaigning for change? XRUK’s political influencing strategy is based on the Liberal Democrats’ support for a UK wide Citizens’ Assembly on climate and the environment, which can be used in certain seats to apply direct pressure on Labour to adopt a similar policy.
Check here to read more about the campaign. Even if you are not in one of the targeted constituencies you can help from afar. The strategy isn’t just about political liaison - these seats will benefit from actions to raise awareness and further ratchet up pressure on Labour.
If you are taking part in this tactic please contact xrukpolitical@gmail.com
| Constituency | Region | Held by |
|---|---|---|
| Hitchin | East of England | Conservative |
| Cities of London & Westminster | London | Conservative |
| Chelsea & Fulham | London | Conservative |
| Harrow East | London | Conservative |
| Hendon | London | Conservative |
| Derby North | Midlands | Conservative |
| Rushcliffe | Midlands | Conservative |
| Keighley & Ilkley | North | Conservative |
| South Ribble | North | Conservative |
| Hastings & Rye | South East | Conservative |
| Milton Keynes Central | South East | Conservative |
| Reigate | South East | Conservative |
| Wycombe | South East | Conservative |
| Bournemouth East | South West | Conservative |
| Truro & Falmouth | South West | Conservaitve |
The “Portillo Moment” Seats
Political journalists tend to set the news agenda, and this is magnified many times over during a General Election campaign. And there’s nothing that appeals more as a story than a ‘big name’ potentially losing their seat (i.e. being humiliated!) come election day. If you’re in one of these seats, an action with a great photo opp is likely to get picked up by a news service and could even become one of the stock images of the campaign.
| Constituency | XR Region | Incumbent | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond & Northallerton | North | Rishi Sunak* | Conservative |
| Portsmouth North | South East | Penny Mordaunt | Conservative |
| Godalming & Ash | South East | Jeremy Hunt | Conservative |
| Welwyn Hatfield | East of England | Grant Schapps | Conservative |
| North-East Somerset & Hanham | South West | Jacob Rees-Mogg | Conservative |
*not likely to lose but obviously high profile
Less spotlighted but still of above average interest to the press:
| Constituency | XR Region or Nation | Incumbent/Candidate | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clacton-on Sea | East of England | Nigel Farage | Reform UK |
| Holborn & St. Pancras | London | Keir Starmer | Labour |
| Chingford & Woodford Green | London | Iain Duncan-Smith | Conservative |
| Ashfield | Midlands | Lee Anderson | Reform UK |
| Boston & Skegness | Midlands | Richard Tice | Reform UK |
| Wycombe | South East | Steve Baker | Conservative |
| North Somerset | South West | Liam Fox | Conservative |
| Plymouth Moorview | South West | Johnny Mercer | Conservative |
| Dwyfor Meirionnydd | Cymru / Wales | Liz Saville-Roberts | Plaid Cymru |
| Monmouth | Cymru / Wales | David TC Davies | Conservative |
| Aberdeen South | Scotland | Steven Flynn | SNP |
| Dumfries & Galloway | Scotland | Alistair Jack | Conservative |
| East Lothian | Scotland | Douglas Alexander | Labour |
Messaging
This election is not going to change anything for the climate and ecological emergency.
This is not the change we need.
The political system is working perfectly. For the billionaires. For the fossil fuel barons. For the media moguls and their pet politicians.
For the rest of us, voting changes nothing. Whether it’s Red or Blue, this election will bring nothing new.
A new face with the same Business As Usual agenda will simply take control of an unfit system that is set to kill billions.
It’s a deadly distraction: moving the deck chairs around on the Titanic as the iceberg of climate collapse looms ever nearer and more deadly.
We won’t let the elite pull another political conjuring trick on us. We won’t put a cross on a piece of paper and go quietly home and trust them to save us. Because we know that they won’t.
We, the people, are going to save ourselves. By coming together and deciding how to create a world that doesn’t involve war, famine, floods and killer heatwaves.
As a first step, Extinction Rebellion demands the government, whoever that will be after 4 July, is led by an independently run, UK-wide Citizens' Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice.
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This election is not going to save us, so what can people do?
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Come to the end of summer mass action in August, join XR, do NVDA, demand system change
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Demand a Citizens' Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice to ensure we get fair, inclusive and long-term solutions that are acted upon with the urgency that is required in this emergency.
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Labour and Conservative are as bad as each other - both prioritise the economy over the wellbeing of people, nature and planet, heading towards destruction of our life support systems
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We know that only Labour or the Conservatives can win in our First Past The Post voting system - and neither are offering the urgent action needed to tackle the accelerating climate emergency.
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We know that the few good MPs who fully get the climate crisis are helpless against the Business as Usual majority in the House of Commons who have been captured by oligarchs, industry lobbyists and media barons.
Slogan ideas
Ideas for people to use on banners, posters, social media posts, feel free to use, amend, adapt.
- New prime minister, future still sinister
- New PM/government + Same System = No Change
- New PM/government + same unfit system = We’re still fucked
- Out with the Old, In with the Same Old
- Rishi was Rubbish but Keir Doesn’t Care
- This is a distraction from climate action
- This is not the change we need: Same shit, different colour
- Whether it's red or blue, it's still poo
Press Release
Here is a template press release you can adapt to frame any action you take locally with this messaging.
More guidance on writing and sending press releases.
Hashtags
#Elections2024
#DecideTogether
#UpgradeDemocracy
#CitizensAssemble
Social Media Inspiration
We greatly encourage regional, national and local groups to use their own creativity and come up with social media content of their choice, but if you're stuck here are some rough ideas…
Post examples
Whoever wins, this election will bring nothing new. This is not the change we need. We need everyday people to decide on a way forward in the climate & ecological crisis. We need a #CitizensAssembly for fair, radical action. #Elections2024 #DecideTogether #UpgradeDemocracy
Voting changes nothing. Whether it’s 🔴or🔵, this election will bring nothing new. A new face with the same #BusinessAsUsual agenda, presiding over an unfit system that is killing millions. We need a #CitizensAssembly for fair, radical action. #Elections2024 #DecideTogether
We won’t put a cross on a piece of paper, go home, and trust them to save us. We, the people, must come together and create a world that doesn’t involve war, famine, floods and killer heatwaves. We need a #CitizensAssembly for fair, radical action. #Elections2024 #DecideTogether
The political system is working perfectly. For the billionaires 💰 For the fossil fuel barons 🛢️ For the media moguls and their pet politicians 🤳 We must break this vicious cycle and try something different. We need a #CitizensAssembly for fair, radical change. #Elections2024
Action Ideas
Battle Buses
Battle buses will bring high profile figures to battleground (very marginal) seats and with them, press and photo opportunities. But the schedules are kept under wraps, and typically the only way to find out in advance of a planned visit is by being an activist or at least a member of the party in question. Even then, information is likely to be given only at the last minute, making it difficult to take advantage of the spotlight.
Banner Drops
Citizens' Assembly Actions
The Citizens Assembly Actions Pack on Rebel Toolkit contains guidance and suggestions on CA-themed actions.
Hustings
Hustings are local public debates between the candidates. They should not be disrupted, but can be used to ask questions related to the climate and ecological emergency to raise the issue on the candidates' priorities lists!
Attend a Hustings
If you’re in a seat listed above, ask about a citizens’ assembly on climate and ecological justice. For all other seats, aim to show the gap between the main parties’ track records or commitments and what is necessary to address the climate and ecological crises. This is more likely to be impactful if there are multiple individuals in the audience asking related, but not identical, questions. Hustings tend to be packed with party activists, do try to balance the audience if possible with other concerned members of the public. Women and young people are more often picked to speak.
These events can be run in different ways, and don’t always allow open access or public Q&As. Make sure to check the format to know if the effort is worthwhile.
Organise a Hustings
Organising a hustings is a great way of getting the more thoughtful, calm, considered side of XR out there, as well as showing your fellow constituents how bad almost all candidates are on the climate and ecological emergency.
- Plan your hustings asap - Find a date that suits all the candidates. Don't just invite the big parties, invite all the standing candidates.
- Collaborate - Sometimes it's worth combining your hustings with other local groups such as your local Friends of the Earth or Transition groups.
- Make it a safe space - The candidates may be people you don't like or who aren't very good at their jobs, the key is that they feel safe and not bullied. Make some very clear rules when you open the hustings about staying polite and friendly.
- Publicity - Make sure everyone knows you are organising a hustings and why it is important.
Check out Friends of the Earth's guide to organising a hustings.
What's next for Actions?
Actions that resonate and inspire, with humour and a little audacity at their core are the type that will cut through and engage people with our message and demands.
Our political system is built on a history of oppression and control with unelected officials making catastrophic decisions on our behalf. We need a new system which truly represents democracy and allows the people to decide their future.
We invite you to join us over the coming months for a revolution to upgrade democracy as part of the 2024 Actions Strategy. Though the battle doesn’t end there, these actions can be taken at any point by anyone.
Outlined in this section are a few ideas and resources to help get your action planning juices flowing and give you some inspiration for actions you can do in your local area.
To achieve our goal of mass mobilisation, we need everyone, we need you. These Ideas are only suggestions and we encourage you to think about what affects your local community and how you can tie in your existing campaigns.
Don’t forget to share your images in the XRUK Live Content Telegram channel for greater visibility, and to inspire others!
Questions or comments?
Contact:
xrukpolitical@gmail.com
media@rebellion.earth
xr-action@protonmail.com