Poll Results

Thanks to everyone who took part in last week’s member poll. It was all about what 38 Degrees members think about the gagging law campaign, and what we should do together now it’s become law.

Loads of people took the poll, and the passion 38 Degrees members have to keep standing up for democracy, protecting freedom of speech and holding our decision makers to account is so inspiring.

Here are the poll results:

38 Degrees members were asked what we should do together when the gagging law kicks in in September. Here’s what everyone said:

And some other ideas 38 Degrees members had for what we should do to handle the law …

“I like the idea of civil disobedience in trying to express a strength of feeling about how this law has missed its mark”

“Can 38 Degrees and a coalition of other charities take the issue to the European Courts to ask them to strike it down? I’d contribute to that campaign!”

“Lobby the other parties to get their firm undertaking that it would be removed as a priority if they won the next election”

Look at what 38 Degrees members said when asked how we’d describe to another 38 Degrees member why it’s worth carrying on campaigning:

“Politicians in power are letting us down in every way from climate change to democratic processes – your voice is more likely to count in 38 Degrees than at election time!!! Count me in”

“We have no political party that stands for or represents the individual people of this country. Without the likes of 38 Degrees what have we to stand together and fight this attack on our freedom?”

“Our freedom to stand up for what we believe should not be compromised by this goverment”

“The gagging law makes it even more important to stand up for democracy”

38 Degrees members also said …

“The political process has become an elite club, with access increasingly restricted to the general electorate. It is time these self-interested cliques were broken and the democratic process returned to the people”

“I’d be concerned that starting a political party will divide votes and might turn out to be counter productive with our current voting system”

“it alarms me how the gagging law is getting almost no mainstream media attention”

Next the poll asks some questions about the gagging law campaign we all worked on together. 96% of 38 Degrees members had some idea of what the implications of the gagging law will be. And it looks like people’s experience of the campaign was largely positive:

Have a read of what 38 Degrees members listed as their favourite parts of the campaign:

“The newspaper ads on the day of the House of Lords votes”

“When we appeared to successfully change the minds of the House of Lords , albeit only temporarily”

“The public meetings like the one here in Bath with Don Foster – just so disappointing that he chose to ignore the wishes of many of his constituents”

“Reading about the public meetings and the excuses MPs gave for not attending”

“Writing to my MP and when he replied then I wrote again with a critique of his answer”

“The pressure the 38 Degrees campaign put on supporters of the bill throughout its proposal and passage was well organised and very important as a whole”

It’s tough reading some of 38 Degrees members’ least favourite parts of the campaign:
“Losing the vote”

“writing to my MP as he invariably follows the party line and does not give a reasoned answer to any points I might raise”

“Is there any way we could have got more media coverage, as broadcast news and most papers seemed to ignore the issue”

Finally, your parting comments on the campaign were:

“Frustrating to get so close but still fail. Political democracy in this country is very compromised. We need 38 Degrees to express our voices”

“It appears to me that there is a legal challenge to be made and regardless of the law being passed, it is doubtful that it can be enforced since it violates human rights and since the law does nothing to protect the national economy or security, it can have no lawful basis within the context of EU Law”

“Congratulations on a fight well fought – shame on those who voted in favour of the bill”

“It showed this government that as many people voted against the bill as for it. That the government only got its way by the expediency of its casting vote is a very, very hollow victory. The campaign was well-fought and 38 Degrees should feel very proud of what it achieved and remain determined to continue the fight to its rightful end.”