Loomio

Q6 Who sets its agenda and who can influence the constitution-making body’s deliberations?

PE Phil England Public Seen by 323

Background:

We have been examining this question through a series of public events and a survey. We are doing this to help build a shared vision among democracy campaigners so that we can:
a) engage with the Trickett/King's initiative and campaign to make it have a better public interest outcome and
b) design and initiate our own process if the King's/Trickett proposal turns out to be insufficient.

We are moving this discussion to Loomio for a limited time in order to bring this discussion to a conclusion and see if there are any unifying statements we can agree on. These will then be put forward to the next convention planning group meeting on 11 September for possible adoption.

You are invited to propose unifying statements (using the green button at the top right-hand of the page) drawing on our work to date (see below) to see what support they receive from other participants. You can also comment on, discuss and vote on proposals that others have made. Those statements receiving the most support will be considered for adoption at the meeting of the next convention planning group on 11 September.

Work so far on this question:

i) Popular responses from the survey we conducted after the public meeting at the House of Commons on 10 May:

An external body (eg a broadly drawn secretariat) can make suggestions about the agenda and about expert witnesses but the deliberating body makes the ultimate decision about what is on the agenda and which witnesses to invite.

ii) Results of the temperature check of statements suggested at the end of our day of deliberation on 16 July 2106:

  • A convention has the power to invite in experts as it deems necessary (98%)
  • A secretariat (advisory body – expert knowledge) should be advisory. The deliberative body should be sovereign (87%)
  • Professional Mediators and Facilitators to ensure fairness (82%)
  • Digital solutions e.g APPGREE which surveys and asks for votes VOCALEYES etc (76%)
  • Any elected body or representatives should be sackable, replaceable – people have the power to replace them (76%)
  • People in representative meetings set the agenda: which is – content based+organisation+education (73%)
  • We need to decide if we are endorsing a secretariat (an advisory body). We need to ensure it isn’t dominated by vested interests e.g as could potentially be the case with a university (72%)
  • Data informs the agenda – what’s making people sick, poor etc. How do we feel as we go through the process as an important part of the process (67%)
  • Participating, Learning and Action. Getting everyone involved in learning, gathering info and coming up with action (66%)
  • Online solutions can address problems of privilege, gender, class, race domination, style of discourse etc that can dominate in in person meetings (54%)
  • To what extent could this body use the civil service (53%)