Flatpack Democracy

In 2011, a group of residents from Frome, Somerset, frustrated with party politics the local council, banded together, put themselves up for election as a coalition of independents, and took over the town. In the decade since, Independents for Frome (IfF) has spearheaded a raft of community-driven civil, social and ecological initiatives that have helped accelerate the regeneration of the town; been named ‘Council of the Year’ in 2015; and set the template for a revolutionary new system of local government: Flatpack Democracy.

The term was coined by Peter Macfadyen, former mayor of Frome and the author of the two books that explained the movement’s methods and inspiration – Flatpack Democracy in 2014 and Flatpack Democracy 2.0 in 2019. Today, around 50 UK towns and parishes have followed the Flatpack principles and are now run by groups of independents working together for the benefit of their communities, unhampered by the bureaucratic inertia and ideology that party-political councils fall prey to all too often.

The 2020 pandemic brought communities together in unprecedented ways, with local mutual-aid groups and initiatives gathering to support each other and tackle neighbourhood problems. The Flatpack 2021 campaign has been set up to help groups like these take permanent control of their communities – offering support, guidance and a clear pathway to power for independents seeking local office in the May 2021 council elections.

Lasting social change never comes from the top. Flatpack Democracy as Peter and his peers have conceived it offers a genuinely inspirational model for the grassroots transformation of local government – one that we at Zetteler can get behind 100%. We’re excited to be amplifying the Flatpack 2021 campaign as loud as we can – the more people who understand they have the power to change things, and are inspired to step up to do it, the better. Viva la revolution.
 

flatpack2021.co.uk