Commission
The commission for a better politics
About the commission
The Commission on a Better Politics was founded in 2019 and aims to understand how we can create a safer and more transparent political system. It focuses on solving the internal issues within our political system. These are issues the public rarely sees but which have a profound impact on how it functions.
Our vision
Our plan to create a better political system focuses on properly tackling complaints, allowing survivors to speak about issues in the system, and ensuring greater transparency.
Exposing issues
We need to ensure that those who experience or witness misconduct can speak openly about it. This means ensuring organisations cannot use legal costs, liability law, or NDAs on volunteers to stop survivors from speaking publicly about an issue.
A safer politics
We must ensure that political parties are safe for everyone involved. This includes creating an independent body to handle complaints, establishing legal safeguarding standards, and introducing clear guidance for vetting candidates.
Increasing transparency
We need greater transparency in all areas of our political system. We propose stronger transparency rules around everything from political funding, spending, lobbying, influence, and complaint handling to increase public trust and accountability.
Our work
It is no secret that complaint systems within political parties are broken and fail those who report an issue. I have spent much of my six years as a think tank Director looking into the mishandled party complaints and what can be done to fix our system.
This submission covers complaints procedures within politics, recall petitions for Members of Parliament, and standards in politics.
This paper focuses on think tank transparency within the UK. It includes rankings of every think tank within the UK, some of the major issues with the lack of transparency in the current system, and proposes solutions which increase transparency.
The last decade in politics has not only been messy, but it has also been difficult. It has been divisive. It has been inherently discriminatory.
Partners
Labour Against Antisemitism
Change the Chat
Times Up Green Party
Research team
Sylvanie Nguekam
For a better politics commission lead
Sylvanie works in the civil service and has founded a support group for sexual assault survivors.
Torrin Wilkins
Director and Founder
Torrin is the Founder and Director of Centre Think Tank. His experience includes authoring over a dozen papers and over one hundred policies. His policies have been backed by an All-Party Parliamentary Group of over 260 MPs and included in various party manifestos. He has appeared in a wide range of print and broadcast media and previously had a weekly column for a national publication. He has a degree in Political Studies from Aberystwyth University.
Jasneet Samrai
Deputy Director, External Affairs and Head of Pastoral Care
Jasneet works at the Royal College of Physicians as Public Affairs and Campaigns Advisor and was previously a Policy and Influencing Assistant at Breast Cancer Now and a Deputy store Manager at Oxfam. They also worked as a campaign organiser, helping to elect three MEPs.
Commission sponsors
Garvin Brown
Former Chairman of the Brown-Forman Corp
Garvin Brown is a retired executive and former Chairman of his family's drinks business, Brown-Forman Corp. He is also a Venture Partner at Ascension, an early-stage VC fund, and a Senior Advisor at Ispahani Advisory, advising family businesses on corporate governance.
Documents
Structure of commissions