Where are the celebrations over the Sustainable Communities Bill?

The Sustainable Communities Bill passed through its third reading debate in the House of Commons last week and this should be cause for much celebration - it has the potential to really change the way communities work.

Photo: Voting? To some it is not worth it - graffiti expression in Stroud

Certainly there has been press coverage but not enough!! This is a huge success - many of us have campaigned over four years to see this happen - meetings in Stroud, numerous letters and even phone calls - an unprecedented level of grassroots support was created.

Of course it still isn't quite over - we still have to get it through the House of Lords - but the Government has now stated that it supports the Bill.

The list of special thanks from the originators reads as follows (and includes Stroud's MP David Drew and Green MEP Caroline Lucas):

- Unlock Democracy's Campaigns Director and Local Works Co-ordinator Ron Bailey
- Sue Doughty
- Julia Goldsworthy MP
- Oliver Heald MP
- Gregory Barker MP
- David Drew MP
- Elfyn Llwyd MP
- Dr Caroline Lucas MEP
- Nick Hurd MP

While this Bill is an important step in the right direction it is clear that we urgently need to renew our democracy - from the way the Iraq War was executed, to cash for peerages, to the insufficient constitutional reforms which Labour has introduced, there is a growing sense of a failure of government and a deepening public distrust in politics. Gordon Brown has now promised to renew our democracy - but for this to happen in any meaningful way the constitutional change must take place democratically through the direct involvement of citizens. I would urge people to add their comments here to help the campaign.

Update 29/06/07: Good article on what this Bill means here