Active Citizens Transform
Encyclopedia
Active Citizens Transform was founded in 2004 by Charles Secrett
, former Executive Director of the environmental organization
Friends of the Earth
, and Ron Bailey
as a new non-party political movement in the United Kingdom
. It aims to mobilise citizens to transform the United Kingdom into a vibrant, participatory and sustainable society
. It opposes the "first-past-the-post" electoral system.
ACT published an advertisement in 2005 criticizing Labour party
members of parliament
who promised to support environmental policies but, under pressure from the Labour party's leadership, voted against environmental measures opposed by the British government. The advertisement was criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority
for making misleading claims.
One of ACT's main projects was Local Works
the successful campaign for the Sustainable Communities Bill. ACT inherited this campaign from the New Economics Foundation
.
In 2006, ACT formally merged with Charter88
, which in turn merged with the New Politics Network
in 2007 to form Unlock Democracy
.
Charles Secrett
Charles Secrett is an environmental activist, head of Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland between a1993- 2001. He is an author and broadcaster on environmental topics....
, former Executive Director of the environmental organization
Environmental organization
An environmental organization is an organization that seeks to protect, analyze or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation or lobby for these goals....
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth (EWNI)
Friends of the Earth is one of 70 national groups around the world which make up the Friends of the Earth network of environmental organizations...
, and Ron Bailey
Ron Bailey
Ron Bailey was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1930s and 40s. He was a New South Wales Country, New South Wales, and Australian representative whose club career was played with Waratah Mayfield, Newtown Bluebags, Huddersfield, and Canterbury-Bankstown in Sydney...
as a new non-party political movement in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It aims to mobilise citizens to transform the United Kingdom into a vibrant, participatory and sustainable society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
. It opposes the "first-past-the-post" electoral system.
ACT published an advertisement in 2005 criticizing Labour party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
members of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
who promised to support environmental policies but, under pressure from the Labour party's leadership, voted against environmental measures opposed by the British government. The advertisement was criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority
Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)
The Advertising Standards Authority is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation. However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects legislation in many instances...
for making misleading claims.
One of ACT's main projects was Local Works
Local Works
Local Works is a UK coalition of over 120 national organisations campaigning to promote the use of the Sustainable Communities Act. Originally set up by the new economics foundation, the Local Works coalition was formed in 2002 with the sole aim of campaigning to see the Sustainable Communities...
the successful campaign for the Sustainable Communities Bill. ACT inherited this campaign from the New Economics Foundation
New Economics Foundation
The New Economics Foundation is a British think-tank.NEF was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit with the aim of working for a "new model of wealth creation, based on equality, diversity and economic stability"....
.
In 2006, ACT formally merged with Charter88
Charter88
Charter88 was a British pressure group that advocated constitutional and electoral reform and owes its origins to the lack of a written constitution. It began as a special edition of the New Statesman magazine in 1988 and it took its name from Charter 77 - the Czechoslovak dissident movement...
, which in turn merged with the New Politics Network
New Politics Network
The New Politics Network was an independent political and campaigning think tank in the United Kingdom, concerned with democratic renewal and popular participation in politics...
in 2007 to form Unlock Democracy
Unlock Democracy
Unlock Democracy is a UK pressure group, based in Islington, in London. The organisation campaigns for a more participatory democracy in the UK, founded upon a written constitution. Unlock Democracy works to promote democratic reform across the political spectrum and is not aligned with any...
.