Be Part
of It

Even in these divided times, there is surely one last thing we Brits can agree on…

Tea.

Could you have a 10-minute cuppa with someone from a different political tribe to talk about a difficult topic?

• Perhaps with the family member that you've given up talking politics with.
• Your next-door neighbour who votes for that political party.
• Your workmate who doesn't see the world your way at all.
• Or even that person you avoid in the street because they look like they belong to the other side.

If you do, then in the time it takes your tea to cool down, maybe you'll cool down the country a little too.

When We The People choose to talk and listen to each other with respect, we challenge the perception of our insurmountable division.

And we might discover there's more humanity and nuance among us than the algorithm or our politicians and media want us to believe.

And that means we can come back together to find a way through our problems after all.

The Idea

The idea is to hold a respectful, honest conversation across our tribal lines.

Where both sides are free to speak and be heard; where any perspective can be expressed.

Of course, it's going to take courage. It's going to take backbone.

Even more so, because the topic for this tea is one of the most difficult we face:

What do you think about immigration and how this country might approach it?

Here's how we suggest you go about it:

The most important thing is that the conversation happens at all. So if you want to keep it entirely private, that's totally fine.

Or just share a photo of your two hands, your cups or your mugs, tagging #AgreeOnTea and @WeThePeopleGather.

Of course, you can go further and share audio or video of the whole or part of the conversation.

If others hear that you two did #AgreeOnTea, it might inspire them to do the same – perhaps even create a wave of reconnection across the country.

In this way, we can all do our bit to show a more united, hopeful future is possible.

Dover. Brixton. Edinburgh. Piddington. York. Cardiff. Hastings — and more.

The issue of immigration has touched many of our communities, both for good and for ill.

The divisions we see in the country find their way into our day-to-day lives and the places we call home. Even our family tables.

So we offer two paths to hold a Council of the People for your community, whatever its size.

Download our toolkit

Access our free toolkit (coming soon) for a clear step-by-step process, principles and resources to hold a gathering yourself.

We can also connect you with a network of expert facilitators in your area, if required.

Let Us Help

Please get in touch if you would like our direct support in holding a Council of the People in your community.

We can provide bespoke guidance on setting up a Council and also offer impartial facilitation for the Council itself.

If we do not have capacity for our team to attend on the day, we will endeavour to connect you with a facilitator team in your area that can do the same job.

Though it is up to you to source an appropriate venue, provide refreshments and advertise, we offer our services at no cost.

The dream: to inspire a wave of reconnection and reconciliation in communities across the country.

Starting with you, through your community, we hope that the wave of reconnection and reconciliation will culminate in a major cultural event: a National Council of the People on Immigration.

Using the Citizens' Assembly approach (see Our Real Hope), we will select a group of 100 or more everyday people to discuss

How might we approach immigration as a country?

Lasting for up to two weeks, the Council will hear testimony from experts on immigration as well as personal stories of those whose lives have been affected by the issue.

These could include positive stories of the beauty of British culture or contributions made by refugees. Or they could be negative stories of racist attacks or violence perpetrated by immigrants.

It will be a place where all sides can speak without fear of judgment. Where ghosts from the past can be faced. Where we can express anger, grief, even shed tears.

An opportunity for the communities of this island to share their stories at last, in search of a more united, hopeful future.

In that way, the national Council of the People aims to have a positive impact across our society.

To that end, we will aim to engage as many people as possible by making the Council exciting, emotional — even entertaining.

We will involve high profile cultural figures from across the arts, music, film & TV both to drive public awareness and of course share their perspectives too.

We will also create a broad media ecosystem for people to engage whoever and wherever they are in the country.

• Social as well as legacy media to reach every generation
• Newsworthy viral events
• Live streams of Council sessions
• Daily highlight shows on a range of platforms
• An app where users can follow proceedings, post comments and interact through polls on policy ideas
• A documentary to tell the Council's story
• A portal for people to submit their own stories building an archive of our national memory on immigration

The site itself will be accessible with music, food, exhibitions and relevant events to draw audiences to attend in person.

The goal of it all: to show people that there is another way for our democracy to function, where their contributions are valued and counted, rather than ignored or overruled.

The prototype on which we can build a new political system fit for whatever the future may hold.

Immigration is only the start.

We will go on to apply our Councils of the People to other issues tearing us apart, from cost of living to taxation to the NHS, even to our international relationships or the regulation of AI.

While it may sound absurdly ambitious, we believe We The People speaks to a gap in the market – a message of hope, unity and empowerment that will strike a chord with millions across the country.

If that happens, anything is possible.

And with each step, we build a vision of what we want for our future, written by us – a People's Manifesto – while growing a Movement with the political force to make it happen.

We will make this a better country. More peaceful, more united, more democratic. Fit for the challenges of the 21st century. A country our children will be glad to inherit.