June 2025: Newsletter
Hi friend,
Summer is here and so is the sun (sometimes)! ☀️
Welcome to the first of our now-monthly newsletter! In these newsletters, we will share everything from the work we’ve been doing, policy wins, political analysis, and upcoming events.
Catch-up on our work and see how you can plug-in below ✨
Tour of Parliament: Chipping Barnett
Are you a migrant? Do you live in Chipping Barnet? Do you want to meet the member of Parliament responsible for your neighbourhood?
Click here to learn more about an upcoming opportunity to tour Parliament!
Be A Councillor
Are you interested in running for local government? Join us to find out how first-generation migrants can become councillors and advocate for their communities.
MPower Closing Ceremony
On 10 May, we celebrated MDP’s second MPower: Councillor cohort. This event concluded our six-month programme that saw 12 incredible first-generation migrant leaders training to stand in local elections. From canvassing in Cambridge to hosting voter registration events, these leaders received hands-on training and support to become political leaders in their communities.
Two of our leaders have already been selected as official candidates for the 2026 Local Elections in London! If you would like to support our leaders you can contact them via email.
Elmedina is standing for the Green Party, in Tollington Ward, Islington: dinmend@aol.com; and
Gheorghe is standing for the Green Party, in Elm Park Ward, Havering: zugravu:gheorghe@gmail.com
MDP is a non-partisan organisation. Leaders in our MPower Programmes choose to stand for various political parties, as well as none. Stay tuned for future announcements!
MDP at Parliament
On 28 April, MDP had the pleasure of formally launching our report "What If Everyone Could Vote?" at Parliament, in an event sponsored by MP Wera Hobhouse. We heard beautiful words from MP Ellie Chowns, researchers Toby James and Jaime Underwood, and Hind Dawi and Fatiha Benmerzouk, two long-term residents shut out of our democratic systems. The event brought together partner organisations, allied politicians, and supporters to connect and learn more about the possibility and practicality of residence-based voting in the UK. Click here to read our full report.
Narrative Power Summit
In May, a few MDP team members had the opportunity to travel to the United States to connect with incredible activists from across the world. At the Narrative Power Summit, a conference organised by the Radical Communicators Network and ReFrame, MDP - along with organisers and colleagues from Migrants Organise, Migrants in Culture, POMOC, and NEON - were able to share strategy, and learn about the latest narrative change frameworks and the intersections of organising and communications.
Our Response to Labour’s New White Paper
On 12 May, 2025, Starmer released the Government’s new White Paper on immigration. We heavily reject the narrative created within this White Paper, which has attempted to further legitimise the hostility around migration, parroting a politics of xenophobia that considers migration through lenses of criminality and security rather than one based in humanity. Read our full analysis here.
Local Elections Recap: Let’s Look at the Bright Side!
It’s been more than a month since results started rolling in after the 1 May local elections. Unfortunately, in these local elections, we saw many candidates running and winning on anti-immigration, racist, and xenophobic platforms and policy proposals.
Yet, many won by organising, organising, organising.
The UK has traditionally been viewed as a two-party system, but in these elections smaller parties made big gains. Most notably, Reform UK won almost 40% of all available council seats. While these elections may feel like a loss, this is also an opportunity. This new fragmented political landscape gives a greater chance for smaller parties and independent candidates to succeed, and that can work in our favour.
Next year, over 3,300 council seats will be up for re-election, including all London Boroughs, and other councils like Birmingham, Newcastle, and Brighton and Hove. We have a year to organise our communities, continue our campaign to get all migrants the right to vote, and get elected!
Every Little Bit Count
It is small donations from community members like you that can sustain our work and help build the people-powered movement for a stronger, more just democracy that we all want to see. Please consider making a donation to Migrant Democracy Project.
Thank you for your continued support and we'll see you next month!
In Solidarity,
Lara Parizotto
Executive Director, Migrant Democracy Project
