Investing in sexual violence services in England and Wales could save billions: With new research showing sexual violence has a lifetime cost to taxpayers of £440bn, funding services is essential https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/invest-sexual-violence-services-england-wales-lifetime-cost-440-billion-research/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

The UN’s missed chance to lead on anti-trafficking: The international trafficking response was scattered from day one. Could US funding cuts force unity at last? https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/united-nations-missed-chance-on-anti-trafficking/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

Join the conversation: Should voting be compulsory?: openDemocracy readers share their thoughts on whether compulsory voting would improve democracy https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/readers-thoughts-should-voting-be-compulsory-low-turnout-democracy/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

Low turnout is worsening inequality. The solution is compulsory voting: Older, wealthier and whiter people are far more likely to vote – meaning politicians pay more attention to them https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/uk-compulsory-voting-low-turnout-worsening-inequality-australia/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

How Protest Became a Crime in the UK: "We’re All Arrestables Now": What do these laws mean for democracy, and who is being targeted? From activists to everyday citizens, no one is exempt. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/podcasts/in-solidarity-podcast/protest-bill-conservatives-labour-starmer-johnson/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

Revealed: Banking giant threatened to leave UK over mooted tax increase: JP Morgan Chase wrote to Rachel Reeves to lobby against rumoured banking surcharge rise ahead of autumn budget https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/jp-morgan-chase-rachel-reeeves-leave-uk-increase-tax-bank-surcharge-jamie-dimon-autumn-budget/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

Starmer’s new plan scapegoats migrants for Brexit’s failings: The immigration white paper is full of coded racism. It’s a cheap attempt to distract from the real failing: Brexit https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/starmers-new-plan-scapegoats-migrants-for-brexits-failings-immigration-white-paper/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

I’m facing 10 years in prison for climate protest. I’d still do it again: The UK’s broken justice system is locking young activists like me away – and we’ll all suffer the consequences https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/just-stop-oil-protester-prison-activist-manchester-airport/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

How the UK’s ‘free speech’ government banned protest: Conservative ministers loudly championed free speech – right up until they outlawed it. Now, we’re all at risk https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/conservative-labour-protest-ban-climate-gaza-just-stop-oil-extinction-rebellion-black-lives-matter/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS

“We don’t have time for ‘briefcase politics’” - Zack Polanski’s pitch to lead the left: From ‘Rehearsing the Revolution’ to building it for real, Zack Polanski talks to oD about his bid to lead not just the Greens, but the wider progressive movement https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/green-party-leadership-election-zack-polanski/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=RSS