Politics? Laura Thomas describes the “silver lining to the cloud of party-politics”
When people ask me what I do for work, I sometimes keep it to a one-word answer, “politics” I say. More often than not people are none-to-pleased with this answer, a raised eyebrow or sceptical-sounding question about which party I work for betrays a sense of disenchantment with a political system in which Westminster in-fighting, broken promises and wasted public money is all too often the focus of discussion. But the Innovation in Politics Institute is the very antithesis of this trope. I often describe what we do at the institute as the silver lining to the cloud of party politics — we shine a light on the hard-working people who strive to do the best for their communities, who refuse to accept the status-quo and who are passionate about improving people’s lives.
Every year, the Innovation in Politics Awards celebrates the most ground-breaking initiatives across Europe and gives a platform to the people who work in politics to make a real, positive change to the way we live our lives. Each of the 8 categories highlights the work of 10 finalists and 1 winner, celebrating the diverse ways in which public policy can improve our world. Over the years there have been many exciting initiatives from the UK, including last year’s People-Owned Wind Turbine project which fights fuel poverty while generating green energy, or the 4 Day Week Campaign which argues for a shorter working-week enabling a better work-life balance and supporting a more sustainable lifestyle.
The Innovation in Politics Awards Gala 2024 will be held in Barcelona – the first ever European Capital of Democracy – as part of a year long programme of events celebrating the very best of what democracy can offer. Where better to showcase the best of British politics and what the United Kingdom can contribute to best practice? So the question I want to ask you is, how do you want to define “politics”? Do you want this word to be confined to dreary discussions about the most recent scandal, or do you want it to inspire people to learn about and implement creative solutions to the challenges we face? If you know a project or initiative that is run by a passionate team and which is making a real difference to people’s lives, then you can make a submission via the Innovation in Politics Awards platform before 19th November, or contact Laura Thomas, United Kingdom Country Representative: lt@innovationinpolitics.eu.
