A United Europe
Restoring our place in Europe for prosperity and progress.
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Power to the People
Building trust, empowering citizens, and modernising democracy.
Empower Local Governments
Strengthen councils with funding and authority to tailor local services. UK local government funding per resident is still 19% below 2010 levels, yet public trust in local leaders far exceeds trust in national officials. 51% of people trust their local council to make decisions for their area, compared to just 15% who trust central government. Empowering councils can leverage this higher trust and improve governance at the community level. Internationally, countries with strong local governance (e.g. Nordic municipalities) often report better public satisfaction and outcomes, validating the importance of local decision-making.
Adopt Digital Democracy
Implement secure online voting and Estonia-style digital public services to boost participation. Estonia has offered internet voting since 2005, and in 2023 over 51% of votes in its national election were cast online, demonstrating how digital ballots can engage voters. Estonia also provides 99% of government services online, saving time and costs. In the UK, there is clear demand for digital access: 85% of Britons want fully digital public services within two years. Expanding e-services (for example, HMRC’s online tax filing used by millions) and exploring secure e-voting can make democracy more accessible and efficient, especially for younger and busy citizens.
Increase Transparency
Make government data fully open and accessible to rebuild trust and combat misinformation. Only 35% of Britons express confidence in the national government, reflecting a trust gap that transparency can help bridge. Publishing clear data on contentious issues is vital – for example, asylum seekers made up only ~11% of immigrants to the UK in 2023, yet public perception is often much higher. By openly sharing facts (on immigration, spending, COVID responses, etc.) in user-friendly formats, the government can enable independent verification and informed debate. Countries like New Zealand and Canada have open-data portals and transparency laws that correlate with higher public trust and lower corruption, showing that “sunlight” in government data is an antidote to misinformation.
