'Our Democracy Is At A Turning Point: We Must Choose To Defend It'

Stand Up To Racism and local trade unions march through Epping to protest the presence of the far right on anti migrant protests on July 27, 2025It’s been seven years since the House of Commons last marked the International Day of Democracy. In that time, the world has changed.At home and abroad, democracy is under threat. Its foundations are being slowly chipped away sometimes by brute force, sometimes by complacency, sometimes intentionally.In the UK, we have seen parliament unlawfully prorogued to push through a partisan agenda, restrictions placed on voting rights, and even a prime minister who broke the very lockdown rules he imposed on the rest of the country. These are not minor missteps. They are breaches of public trust that corrode faith in the democratic process.Meanwhile, internationally, democracy is not simply in retreat it is under assault. The past year alone saw further democratic backsliding in dozens of countries, autocratic coups across Central and West Africa, and the continued illegal invasion of Ukraine by an increasingly authoritarian Russian regime. These events are stark reminders: democracy does not erode only from within. It can also be attacked from the outside.And at the heart of our own democracy in the Cities of London and Westminster, the constituency I represent, I see both the power of democratic expression and the dangers that come with its abuse. Last weekend, more than a hundred thousand people marched through central London.People demonstrate during the Tommy Robinson-led Unite the Kingdom march and rally, in London, Saturday Sept. 13, 2025. Many were driven by a belief that they could shape a different country. But among them were those who sought to poison that purpose, people who attacked law enforcement, called for violence against elected leaders, and shared racist conspiracy theories. This is not protest. It is a twisting of our democratic freedoms into tools of intimidation.We must be clear-eyed about where we are. Our democracy is at an inflection point. The social contract between people and politics is fraying. Only 12% of the public believe the government acts in the national interest above party interest. That figure should alarm every one of us who sits in parliament.I hear it every week in my constituency casework: People feel their votes don’t matter. People feel their politicians don’t listen. People feel that the system is broken. And it’s not enough to tell them that democracy is better than the alternative. We have to show them that it works.We do that not through empty reassurance but through meaningful reform — by rebuilding trust, devolving power, and defending the values that have long underpinned our democracy. This is not protest. It is a twisting of our democratic freedoms into tools of intimidation. This government has begun that work. We are extending the franchise to sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds, young people who already serve in our armed forces and pay tax, yet have too often been denied a voice. We are cleaning up political finance by clamping down on foreign donations and restoring the independence of the Electoral Commission. We are returning power to our communities through the landmark English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill giving residents the right to request the powers they need to shape the places they call home.But we must go further. We must confront head-on those who seek to divide us with hatred and misinformation. We must reject the politics of scapegoating and the erosion of international human rights standards.There is nothing unpatriotic about criticising the state of our democracy. In fact, the most patriotic thing we can do is fight to improve it to protect it from both apathy and extremism, and to keep it strong for the generations that will come after us.This is the Britain I believe in, one built by migrants in Soho, by artists in Fitzrovia, by refugees who found safety in the City of London. A Britain that is diverse, proud, and resilient. A Britain where people march to be heard, not to intimidate.On this International Day of Democracy, we should recognise that democracy is not guaranteed it is chosen. And if we choose to defend it, to reform it, and to share its power more equally, it will endure.Because democracy is not just a system. It is a promise we must renew, not just in words, but in action.Related...Trump's Latest Merch Doesn't Look Good For Future Of DemocracyBritish Democracy Is Not For Sale – It's Time To Clean Up Political Donation Rules, Labour MPs SayHouse Of Lords Thrown Into 'Chaos' As Democracy Protesters Bring Debate To A Halt

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