Together Declaration, a prominent anti-lockdown and pro-free-speech pressure group, has announced its intention to lend political support to candidates who align with its principles in elections around the UK this year.
The group has embarked on a campaign to encourage public participation in the electoral process, supporting candidates who align with their principles of transparency, free speech, and a critical examination of net zero and lockdown policies.
Speaking ahead of by-elections last week, co-founder of the group, Alan Miller, told The Epoch Times, “We’re here in Wellingborough, like we are in Kingswood, together encouraging the public to come out and vote and have their voices heard.”
Launched in the summer of 2021, Together Declaration started out with a signable mission statement, originally to challenge lockdown policies that it perceived as draconian. It now has over 300,000 UK signatories, with various proposals claiming to unite people, “to push back against growing infringements on our rights and freedoms.”
Since its inception, the group has expanded to include various working groups that run social campaigns and democratic initiatives on a plethora of related issues. It has also become particularly vocal in drawing a link between freedom and the importance of a more inclusive and open debate on environmental policy.
Concerns Over ‘Green Billionaires’
Mr. Miller told The Epoch Times highlighted concerns over the dominance of “a few green billionaires” in shaping the net-zero agenda and the adverse impacts of city and road closures by activists: “We’re saying ‘can we have an honest, authentic, transparent discussion about it?’ It should be simple for everyone.”The group’s political focus now extends beyond their original remit, having formulated three pivotal questions to challenge electoral candidates on their stance toward net-zero transparency, free speech, and the implications of lockdowns, aiming to identify “the most freedom-loving candidate.”
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Mr. Miller cited these issues as salient in light of the ongoing public health challenges and cost-of-living crisis, which Mr. Miller suggests were “partly a cost of lockdown.”
To gauge candidates’ positions, Together Declaration has conducted recent interviews and hosted discussions, including a notable podcast with Ben Habib, a candidate for Reform UK in the recent Wellingborough by-election.
Together Declaration appears likely to align with smaller parties like Reform UK, UKIP, and the SDP, based on a mission statement reflective of talking points from the anti-establishment, pro-free-speech political caucus emerging in national populist movements.
SDP And UKIP Praise Move
William Clouston, leader of the SDP, told The Epoch Times: “I admire much of the work Together Declaration and broader movement have done in fighting for freedom. They stood up against draconian self-defeating lockdowns and have voiced justified criticism against undemocratic LTNs and flawed thinking on ULEZ policy.”Ben Walker, chairman of UKIP, told The Epoch Times that his party “wholeheartedly” supports Together Declaration. He added that it was “An easy statement for us to make, as we’ve been making the same arguments since 1993.”
“There has to be a unification on the right side of politics to save our once great nations. Together Declaration is doing brilliant work in helping to enable that move, shining a spotlight on candidates who are willing to act in the interests of the electorate and those that aren’t.”
In contrast to many political organisations, Together Declaration’s organisation’s approach to political engagement focuses on encouraging voters to participate in the electoral process, regardless of party affiliation.
Regarding the group’s aims, Mr. Miller stated, “Our goal is to have a strong public because, as we say to people all the time, the only way we can keep anyone honest, no matter who stands, is to have a really strong public.”
Together to Support ‘Different Political Parties’
“We will support individuals based on their positions, but obviously, Together Declaration has a number of different kinds of people who are non-aligned and pick different political parties,” Mr. Miller clarified.With a branded car, megaphone and a vocal team on the ground in Wellingborough, the group was seen actively encouraging voter turnout, speaking with would-be voters and attempting to promote democratic participation, regardless of political persuasion.
Together Declaration plans to extend its campaign, targeting constituencies across the country in the lead-up to the next general election.
Mr. Miller told The Epoch Times the group aims to “resuscitate” voters’ “muscles.”
