Engage from Delib: June 2026 - Democracy
In June, we were thinking a lot about democracy. In the UK, a significant by-election and the potential consequences of the result has kept political pundits busy for weeks. In the US, the primaries held at the start of the month contained more than a few surprises. Switzerland made international headlines when they held an unusual referendum on whether or not to cap their population at 10 million.
However, there has never been a more important moment to stress that democracy is (or should be) far more complex than simply casting your vote. While major elections and referenda are making headlines around the world, let’s turn our attention to other ways citizens have been able to make their views heard this month:
Customer insights and inspiration:
Below are just a few examples of how customers are using Citizen Space to make decisions that reflect the needs and priorities of the wider community. A healthy democracy seeks to give citizens their say at every level of governance. In June, customers used our platform to ask:
What are your priorities?
In June, Marlborough District Council in New Zealand became the latest local council to conduct a Community Priorities Survey. The survey asks residents to help the council produce a long-term plan for spending, spanning the next 30 years.
The survey asks residents to consider how the council can set targets for:
- Protecting the environment, and adapting the local economy to a changing environment.
- How to ensure that the council makes decisions in a fair and transparent way.
- How new technologies can and should be used to improve services.
- How the council can affect central government changes in a way that takes into account the local context.
At this early stage, residents are asked to share their thoughts, ideas and hopes on a broad range of categories. Later, when a draft long-term plan has been produced, residents will then be able to take part in a full public consultation on the plan, to further ensure that the plan is led by the community.
How can we keep vulnerable communities safer and healthier?
Keeping residents safe and healthy is a task that requires input from across communities, particularly from those who traditionally have less of a voice in decision-making on issues that affect them.
In East Lothian in Scotland, June saw a major consultation into tackling violence against women and girls. Women in East Lothian were asked to share their views, particularly those with lived experience of gender-based violence. Now their contributions will be used to inform a new strategy for the area.
Meanwhile in Birmingham, a citizens advisory group was established with the aim of reducing health inequalities in the city. The group will work together for a period of two years, helping to shape Birmingham’s approach to health equity and inclusion. Their ultimate aim is to turn Birmingham into an accredited World Health Organization Healthy City.
On the other side of the world, the Australian Government’s Department of Health, Disability and Ageing sought feedback on a large proposed investment in mental health services for young people, including a new network of Youth Specialist Care Centres. The consultation closed in mid-June, and will now be used to inform decision-making ahead of the proposed opening of centres in 2027.
How important are sports to your lives?
With the World Cup kicking off in the middle of June, it’s hard to go a day without thinking about sports!
In Scotland, the Scottish Football Heritage Project was launched. This exciting new project will look at the history of football in Scotland, with the aim of protecting important historic places and designating new heritage sites. It will run until August.
In June, Sport Northern Ireland undertook a review of investment in performance sport in order to make better informed decisions about spending in 2026-2027. The survey sought to establish the strengths, gaps and risks in the current system and to understand the value for money of existing programmes. They will report back on their findings shortly.
Industry and legislative news:
Important industry news from June, including important pieces of proposed legislation and several consequential reviews.
In the UK, will Proportional Representation win the day?
Back in May, more than 60 MPs called for a major overhaul of the UK electoral system. The current system of first-past-the-post frequently produces unrepresentative results, they argued. The new normal of multi-party politics has further strained the existing system, meaning that some are elected on relatively low vote shares.
The calls for Proportional Representation as an alternative electoral system are hardly new, with several parties having long called for it. However, as Andy Burnham threw his now considerable weight behind PR in June, the possibility of a PR election has grown considerably higher.
Misinformation a danger to democracy
In June, a report produced by the Social Market Foundation found that misinformation is widespread in local social media groups. This is particularly true in areas without strong local journalism, where an analysis of 125,000 social media posts in 95 locations in the UK found false or misleading content had become three times more common than average.
Misleading content showed particular spikes in the lead up to significant political events, like the Gorton and Denton by-election and the local elections. Examples include claims that Birmingham council meetings have “stopped being conducted in English” and plans to “make the countryside less white”. Quotes were falsely attributed to politicians on all sides, and AI generated images were commonly used to back up false claims.
The report comes shortly after the close of a major government consultation on the use of social media by children. The consultation, “growing up in the online world” closed at the end of May and is expected to feed back in the summer.
Events coming up:
National AI in Government 2026 - 7 July 2026 - London, UK
A public sector event on how AI is being used across government services. Covers implementation, ethics, and practical use cases for improving efficiency, service delivery, and decision-making in central and local government.Click here to find out more.
Agentic AI-Driven Govt Data 2026 - 29–30 July 2026 - Canberra, Australia
A policy-focused forum on AI in government data systems. Focuses on responsible deployment of AI, privacy, transparency, and building trustworthy citizen-centred digital public services across the Asia-Pacific region.
Click here to find out more.
DigiGov Expo 2026 - 23–24 September 2026 - London, UK
Large UK public sector digital event covering service transformation. Brings together government and tech leaders to discuss delivery, infrastructure, and improving citizen-facing services through technology.Click here to find out more.