The End of an Era at MVC

Posted by malcolmclark on November 09, 2009 | Comments (0)

A message below from MVC Director Malcolm Clark - sent to MVC supporters on Friday 6 November:

"I am, because you are, because we are". This African phrase means a lot personally, but also sums up why this is a very hard email for me to write. You - MVC's supporters and activists - are the bedrock of this organisation and the people I have had the most connection with. So it is with some sadness I am writing to inform you that I am imminently stepping down as Director of Make Votes Count, and moving on to a different challenge elsewhere.

It was a tough decision. While no time is good to leave, this seemed like a sensible point to do it. The middle-to-end of November, after the Queen's Speech, was always going to be the time to take stock of where we are: pushing home the gains we have made and looking ahead to our strategy and campaign options for the period running up to, and including, the General Election.

Make Votes Count - and campaigning for a more representative parliament and a better way of doing politics - has been my passion and my enjoyment for the past four and a half years of my life. More if you include volunteering at MVC during 2004-5 and being involved as an activist since 2000!

In that time, we have seen a resurgence of interest among voters, party members, journalists and pressure groups looking at getting rid of First-Past-the-Post as a way of shaking up politics. We have had the first local councillors elected under STV in Britain; and the third set of elections to PR elected bodies in Scotland, Wales, London and Europe. We have had high profile figures and organisations renouncing their former opposition to reform and backing us. We have attracted a new 'army' of parliamentary candidates and the coming generation of political activists. We have built up, most recently through the Vote for a Change campaign, a swathe of civil society and thousands of individuals supporting our efforts. We have also dealt with a number of false dawns for the campaign, and the setbacks as the vested interests of the some politicians and parties reassert themselves over voters' desire for change. The power balance is shifting now though.

One of the things I am proudest about is having harnessed our resources and expertise to enable people to make the most of their political voice: their vote, and their ability to campaign for change in their local communities. Whether through voter education initiatives 'Euro Votes Count' and 'Londoners' Votes Count'; through talks and running practical training workshops; through the campaign actions we have carried out; or simply through the information you have disseminated by email, leaflets and in person ... together we have set about creating active and powerful citizens. That can only help us in our goal to create a new, genuinely participative democracy.

Politics to me is about talking to and persuading your friends, neighbours, colleagues and networks. This is why I have attached such importance to developing the electoral reform activist base; providing us all with the basic skills, messages, resources and core activities to promote the campaign. This year we have really taken that aspect forward: with an MVC-ERS activist training day in March, followed by the launch of Activism Hub website and the speaker programme.

You are part of an ever-increasing group of amazing people who are enthused by the campaign and want to be involved. So many times you have encouraged me, surprised me, inspired me. Your standing order donations have been the lifeblood of the organisation and the additional money you give in response to supporter mailings is a vital way of expanding our work. I am truly grateful for all that you have done for the campaign, and hope not only that your efforts will continue but we will be rewarded - sooner rather than later - with a reformed voting system for the Commons.

Thank you also to all the partner organisations who have supported our campaigning work over the past few years. Too many orgs to name all here, but special mention to: Electoral Reform Society, Unlock Democracy (& Charter88), the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform, Conservative Action for Electoral Reform, Christian Socialist Movement, Fawcett Society, Operation Black Vote, PCS union, Compass and the National Union of Students.

A personal thank you to all the interns and volunteers who have helped in the office. Also to Paul Oldham (http://www.the-hug.co.uk), Denise Cox (http://www.coxcostello.co.uk) and Wayne Nugent (http://www.mailingguy.co.uk) for their invaluable behind-the-scenes work in ensuring our database and website, book-keeping and supporter mailings respectively are all taken care of to high standards.

Now, back to the present and future. For the latest campaign news, see www.voteforachange.co.uk - sign up to receive their emails. For a one-stop activism hub of resources and ideas for you to go out and take action, see http://www.makemyvotecount.org.uk/activismhub

There will be a MVC Management Committee meeting at the end of November, which will look how best MVC can contribute towards the electoral reform campaign effort in the run-up to the election and after. If you would like to feed in your own ideas and thoughts, please email them in (to the usual address, malcolm@makevotescount.org.uk)

In the meantime, MVC's fantastic (paid) interns Phil Connor and Jana Tereick will be checking emails and communicating with supporters; alongside their current campaign work with Vote for a Change. The main MVC email address and phone number will remain the same.

As for me, I am going to work for The Equality Trust http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk - running their 'One Society' campaign, aimed at making income inequality a major general election issue. So from fair votes, now to fair pay and a fair society, a different emphasis but to me part of the same whole.

You can keep in contact with me via my personal email address

Finally - whether in continued electoral reform activism or campaigning on other issues you care about - remember: "brick-by-brick, block-by-block, calloused hand by calloused hand, we can change the world".

All the very best,

Malcolm