Flatpack Democracy: A Guide to Creating Independent Politics

by Peter Macfadyen

Flatpack Democracy - a DIY Guide to Creating Local Politics. Britain today has a dysfunctional political system. Many politicians are making decisions to meet their own needs or those of their Party, not the needs of the people they serve. This DIY guide is based on what is happening in Frome, Somerset where after years of missed opportunities, a group of local residents took control of their town council and set about making politics relevant, effective and fun. 'Flatpack Democracy' is both the story of what happened and an instruction manual for taking political power at a local level, then using it to enable people to have a greater say in the decisions that affect their lives.

Genres: Politics

111 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2014

Reviews

[David White · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a paradox that we live in a time when voters are actually getting smarter in every way, yet what they vote for is getting dumber. This book was published in 2014, a time when right-wing populists were stirring globally, and they've grown in the 10 years since. While the populists have consistently made things worse than the failings of the old guard, I have come to the conclusion that we can't simply defend the latter. We need to find better alternatives for an increasingly cynical electorate. I think there are lessons to be learned from the success and positive populism of Independents for Frome (IfF), who took over the parish council of the Somerset town in 2011.

Flatpack Democracy by Peter Macfadyen, who appears to have been the chief theorist behind the operation, is one of the few books that have given me genuine hope about politics. In 100 pages (though with smallish print), he explains how they took control, chronicles the successes and occasional setbacks of the first three years, and offers practical advice to anyone wishing to emulate them. Since the book was published, IfF swept every seat on the parish council in the next three elections, and Macfadyen wrote a sequel in 2019 to discuss what happened to IfF in the years after as well as to similar movements elsewhere.

The best thing about this book is how it challenges many assumptions held dear in British politics — the ideas that politics has to be stuffy and formal, that political debate has to be endless mudslinging between governing and opposition tribes, that parties need an ideology or cause to hold them together, that policy revolves around the manifesto and that U-turns and admitting mistakes are signs of weakness. Had I heard of IfF's takeover in 2011, I would've assumed they'd be a wishy-washy do-nothing movement that would quickly fall apart. Instead, other reports corroborate the picture Macfadyen paints, of a council that has not only held together but also been busy and inventive. They also demonstrated, by raising the council tax and supporting housebuilding, that they could make courageous decisions.

The most important revelation is when he talks about how IfF focused first on building social bonds and agreeing ways of working, and only afterwards came up with policies. They 'agreed to disagree' on many issues, while still being united by a sense of belonging and purpose. Those, I believe, are what made them different to traditional parties but also to earlier independent councillors and localist parties. To those wishing to emulate the 'Frome model', he also offers helpful warnings about unexpected pitfalls they would face.

Most of my issues with the book are nitpicky. There are a few errors that should've been picked up by a copyeditor, such as a missing space (p. 53) and inconsistent use of capitalisation on headings (p. 25-29). There is also a contradiction in the first chapter in complaining about both how fringe candidates can get elected but also how first-past-the-post voting usually stops getting small parties elected, which would include fringe candidates.

There is also the question of whether the Frome model really offers a solution to voter malaise. Macfadyen is correct to raise the point that Frome may have had its own local peculiarities, but there are other reasons to be cautious. Frome has 1 parish councillor per 1,600 residents, whereas Britain has 1 MP per 100,000. Politics can be intimate in the former in a way that isn't possible in the latter. The stakes of national government and the attention we pay to them are far higher; far less people lose tempers and sleep over parish councils. It is hard see how national politics can function without parties to provide both organisation and clear choices for voters. In fairness, the book didn't need to address these questions. I think that the Frome model is ripe for replication in other local areas and can ultimately offer lessons for national politics.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really not sure about this book. Some ideas are good and I think it is useful for any local council group to create good and innovative ways of working. But then where it suggests that a self appointed group is the only legitimate democratic answer...then to me that borders on fascism. I am sure the author doesn't intend this.

[Doug Deas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given to me by my son. Interesting read - well thought out structure, good examples and a different approach to politics. Worth a read