A Compass Event: Leaving the 20th Century

Politics in the UK hasn’t moved on with the times. Our democratic and political system is stuck in the 20th century, while our society and our economy are changing at unprecedented rates.

We need our democracy to be fit to match that pace; we need politics that’s able to respond, and indeed to work with the incredible opportunity that 21st-century technology offers. Only then will we be able to steer our society in the right direction: towards the Good Society.

Right now, finally, the moment for radical change to our democracy and our political system is shaping itself. Our rotten first-past-the-post voting system has been outdated for decades already, but MPs haven’t had the courage to replace it. The EU Referendum and its aftermath have now tipped the balance, and further chaos lies ahead.

As we speak, a realignment of sorts is happening in Westminster, weakening both the government and the opposition, but most importantly: destroying the political status quo. We know that moments like these are susceptible to creating bad outcomes, and right-wing populists are already writing their version of the future.

But the future does not have to be theirs to shape. A progressive alternative future is within reach: the moment to set the wheels of the Good Society in motion has never been nearer. To succeed, we need to work together. We need to listen to each other, to extend our trust beyond the tribes we’re told we belong to, and to unite in the confidence that the future that we negotiate together will prevail.

This is what Leaving the 20th Century is about. Join us on Saturday, 6 April in London for a day of listening, inspiration, dialogue and – yes – transformation!