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Friday 18 May 2018

"Time for a change! What’s happening in local politics" > event at Honiton Beehive Centre > Saturday 26th May > East Devon Alliance > Flatpack Democracy > Devon United > Buckfastleigh Independents

There is new leadership at East Devon - elected from the majority party:
Futures Forum: The new leader of the District Council sets out his 'vision for transforming the council'

Meanwhile, the largest opposition grouping in the District will be holding a conference:

Futures Forum: Independents' Day > EDA 'Time for a change' conference > Saturday 26th May

We are talking about local democracy:
Futures Forum: East Devon and democracy: "if you stymie local decision-making, then people are just not going to bother getting involved"

Here's a note from County Councillor Claire Wright: 

Time for a change! What’s happening in local politics - event at Honiton Beehive Centre - Sat 26 May

Thursday, 17 May 2018 by Claire

The new phase of balance at EDDC is good news for East Devon, and a healthy situation for District Council Leader, Ian Thomas, as he takes over from Paul Diviani this week.

Independents are now the main Opposition Group at the District Council, thanks to the shockwave of votes in 2015 (next election due 2019). Independents now represent Exmouth Haldon; Feniton, Gittisham and Buckerell; Newton Poppleford and Harpford; Ottery St Mary, Town (2) and Rural; Raleigh; Sidmouth,Town (3), Rural (1) Sidford (2): and Woodbury and Lympstone (2) . And in 2016, the first East Devon Alliance of Independents (EDA) candidate , Martin Shaw, was elected to Devon County Council where he is a strong voice alongside Claire Wright. Martin represents Seaton,Beer, Branscombe, Colyford,Farway, Northleigh, Offwell, Southleigh and Wilmington, see https://seatonmatters.org

Come and find out more about why and how local politics is changing, and what it means for YOU, at a free event on Saturday 26th May , 10-1.30, at Honiton Beehive. Speakers at this ‘TIME FOR A CHANGE’ people’s conference, will include County Councillors Claire Wright and Martin Shaw; and Pam Barrett, Chair of the Independent Buckfastleigh Town Council and regional expert on transforming democracy from the bottom up (‘Flatpack Democracy’) .

Reserve your place (as spaces limited) via this link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/east-devons-time-for-a-change-peoples-conference-tickets-45482525458 or on the eastdevonalliance.org.uk website.


Time for a change! What’s happening in local politics - event at Honiton Beehive Centre - Sat 26 May 

And more information from EDA Councillor Martin Shaw:
‘Time for a Change’ in East Devon – @EDevonAlliance holding conference to bring together everyone fighting on health, environment, planning and other issues « SEATON & COLYTON matters

The other speaker will be Pam Barrett of Buckfastleigh:
Buckfastleigh Independents Group - think BIG, act local - Home | Facebook 

In Buckfastleigh in Devon, the Buckfastleigh Independents group have followed a similar path. “This isn’t an affluent community,” says the town’s new deputy mayor, Pam Barrett. “It’s a working-class town that’s been suffering from a real loss of services.” Fired up by the possibilities of localism and their experience of fighting – successfully – to keep open a library and swimming pool, she and other residents resolved to stand for town council seats that had not been contested for “20 or more years”.

People Power Brum aims to put local power in the hands of citizens | Our Birmingham

And of the Flatpack Democracy movement:
Flatpack Democracy - Home | Facebook
How Flatpack Democracy beat the old parties in the People’s Republic of Frome | Politics | The Guardian

And of Devon United:
Devon United - Doing Democracy Differently - Home | Facebook

This is all very much part of a very much bigger thing:
Futures Forum: Networked cities as resilient platforms for post-capitalist transition > case studies Frome and Buckfastleigh
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