Action for Equality, Democracy and Sustainability

 

We are a vibrant group of local members supporting the nationwide Compass vision of a more equal, democratic and sustainable society. We do this by strengthening our understanding of and selectively campaigning on national policy issues relevant to Brighton and Hove and the wider locality.

 

 

 

Connect

Come along to one of our Politics with Coffee mornings: open and friendly sessions where we hear from experts on current issues and discuss in small groups. 

• Sign up to our mailing list: we will send announcements of coffee mornings with a link to book.

• Our next Coffee with Politics morning is on 28 November 2026

 

Engage

The Brighton & Hove and Lewes Compass groups are working together towards the coming elections and we need your involvement and support. This involves:

• Building a network of Compass groups across the county.

• Developing approaches for having conversations with people who have already voted for Reform UK or may vote for them in the future. 

• Starting to work on an approach to promote tactical voting in the 2027 unitary elections.

• Please get in touch if you would like to help or have ideas.

 

Get inspired 

• Read about the national Compass Change Now! conference in May 2026 in Sussex Bylines.

• Read more about our previous Politics with Coffee Mornings and activities- including The People's Emergency Briefing,  public engagement at The Brunswick Festival, Countering The Far Right and more.

 

Our next Coffee with Politics morning: 28 November 2026

How to have conversations to show we are more united than divided

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaker: Anthea Simmons, Common Ground

Founder of Common Ground Org, co-founder of South Devon Primary and the Political Primary movement and author of 'The People's Primary' how-to book, Anthea Simmons will be talking about her own political journey from complacent Tory to committed progressive and activist for a better, participatory democracy. She will explore the role of primaries and street conversations in, hopefully, the last election cycle under first past the post, as we strive to mobilise the public to think and act politically.

George Monbiot recently wrote about Common Ground's impactful work in The Guardian.

 

 

 

 

 

Join us

28 November - 10.00-12.30

Friends' Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AF

Booking TBA

 

 

A good time was had by all at our Brunswick festival stall

15 and 16 August - 12.00-4.00

Brunswick square, Hove

A dozen Compass supporters engaged with the public at our stall.  It's a fantastic community festival with music, food and drink, lots of stalls and a great atmosphere. 

What a great weekend! So many people were happy to talk with us about democracy, equality and sustainability and how we can make a better society. We filled 3 flip chart pages with people's answers.

In addition to our primary goal of authentic conversations, 47 new people signed up to Compass, and  around 90 people signed the petition to form a National Commission for Electoral Reform. 

What a great showing for Compass! We look forward to doing it again next year.

 

 

 

 

Coming Events:

Coffee with Politics Mornings

16 January 2027  A vision for Sussex. Speaker: Richard Freeman, Always Possible

6 March 2027  AI and its political economy. Speakers to be determined

 

Crossing Divides Practice Groups 

27 November 2026  2:30 at Leonardo Royal Hotel on Brighton waterfront

 

Politics with Coffee mornings

Brighton and Hove is an amazing creative and progressive place with a vibrant artistic, community and voluntary sector. A city with an great track record of campaigning that remains as alive as ever with Pride, Black Lives Matter and others.  And we are fortunate to have a council with a progressive majority. But our city is also a place where wealth and extreme poverty, poor housing, low paid and seasonal work, and homelessness sit side by side so, when we re-launched our local Compass group in 2020, our priority was to support Brighton build back better after the pandemic. However, our local collaboration can only achieve so much without changing Britain’s centralised, short term and tribal political system. We believe that there are three key elements getting in the way:

- Our unfair electoral system 

- Our tribal politics 

- Our over centralised national and local political systems

We are exploring ideas, discussing issues and planning strategies.

 

 

 

 

 

B&H Compass needs your input

Watch this space for more, or contact us on brightonhove@compassonline.org.uk if you have ideas or would like to get involved.

Brighton and Hove Compass is coordinated by a volunteer steering group. 

 

Promoted by and for Compass Campaigns Ltd., 10 Salamanca Place, London, SE1 7HB