Between Dec 1st, 2019 and January 17th 2020, the first cases of a flu-like virus were reported in China, followed by reported cases in other countries. A week later the US and parts of western Europe were seeing patients with what became identified as a coronavirus. So rapid was the global spread, that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Covid19 coronavirus a pandemic on March 11th. On 23rd March, the UK Government announced a near-total lockdown requiring the population to Stay Home, Protect the NHA and Save Lives. Speakers' Corner Trust realised that the closure of council premises and open spaces could potentially damage citizen's rights to gather, to lobby, to participate in decision-making.
This needed to be investigated. Funded by the Joseph Rowntree SST Charitable Trust, this project surveyed 50 English Councils, 16 Local Democracy Reporters, and others, to find out how significant an impact this might become. The report was published in June 2021, over a year since the first national Lockdown. The findings give cause for celebration in the way local councils and citizens adapted to a new online way of communications. They also give rise to concern for what could become a 'democracy postcode lottery' caused by the unequal access to digital technology by area and by wealth.
Download full report here
