Labour Friends of the Commonwealth (LFC) launched to strengthen democracy with good governance

With an aim to promote international solidarity, friendship, and understanding between the British labour movement and the Commonwealth, the Labour Friends of Commonwealth (LFC) was officially launched on December 10, 2024.   

To commemorate the launching of the LFC, a special event was organized in the Jubilee Room of the Parliament in which world leaders held discussions around the theme "The Future of Democracies Across the Commonwealth."   

Several political leaders from the Commonwealth nations including Prime Minister of Dominica Dr Roosevelt Skerrit attended this event and shared their views on how to promote democracy in the 56 Commonwealth countries.   

PM Roosevelt Skerrit discusses ways of strengthening democracy 

Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, who is also the first patron of LFC, in his keynote address said the member nations must focus on coming together to strengthen the democracies all across the world. “This can help build a bright future for our generations to come,” he said.   

Prime Minister Skerrit also stressed the need for taking innovative steps in the field of governance, economic policies and international relations for the betterment of the countries and their people in the Commonwealth.   

Emphasizing the need for adopting modern electoral processes, the Prime Minister said Dominica had introduced a voter identification process to promote transparency during the elections.   

He said that it was important for the governments to give representation to all sections of society while framing policies. This can help in further strengthening the democracy.   

The Prime Minister also underlined that by upholding the rule of law, the governments can build more confidence amongst their people. He said constitutional institutions in each country must be strengthened for the good of the people.   

The Prime Minister also talked about adopting the latest technology so that the governments and the citizens can participate closely in the formulation of various policies.   

He also stressed promoting economic equality among the citizens by providing easy access to healthcare, education, and other resources. He said this can promote the overall well-being of the citizens and strengthen democracy.   

Prime Minister Skerrit said the governments could also work on promoting sustainable development.   

Significance of LFC Outlined  

Member of Parliament of the UK Labour Party, Douglas Alexander, while speaking on the occasion, said that his party had been working to promote internationalism amongst the Commonwealth countries for a long time. He said despite all the uncertainties; his party was working for the good of all.   

He said LFC was a powerful platform comprising of political figures, and joint efforts made by all on this platform were crucial to building peace across the world.

He said leaders were playing an important role in dealing with various challenges being posed by climate change, trade tensions and geopolitical developments.

Preet Gill MP, while echoing the Prime Minister’s call for strengthening the democracy, said it was important for the Commonwealth nations to work together to deal with problems such as climate change, trade hindrances, and geopolitical instability that can threaten democracies across the world.   

She invited the leaders from the Commonwealth countries to form stronger partnerships with the British Labour Party as this was crucial, particularly in the post-Brexit era.   

During the event, the leaders held discussions on various topics and  shared knowledge to develop policies for a better future.   

Several interactive sessions were also held during the event, which provided the leaders with more information to deal with various challenges that the Commonwealth democracies were facing these days.   

During the conclusion of the event, Preet Gill MP said, "Together, we can inspire visionary leadership that meets the demands of the modern world."   

Aim behind LFC 

The main aim of the Labour Friends of the Commonwealth is to enhance good governance with an agenda of sustainable growth. Several agendas were laid out during the meeting as LFC is intended to work for the inclusive growth of the member states with an initiative of promoting equitable partnerships.  

It will also advocate sustainable economic development and enhance the ways of addressing issues such as climate change, social justice and other reforms in governance. LFC is also aimed at serving the platform for enhancing voice of the Commonwealth on the global stage and facilitate projects to empower unity in the spirit of democratic values.  

Notably, the LFC was founded with an intent to strengthen relationships with the Commonwealth and promote forward-thinking governance.