User:Anthonyzach

Anthony set up the Democratic Society with four friends in 2006 and has been Chief Executive since 2010.

The Society works to create more participatory government and greater democratic engagement, and has offices in Brighton, Brussels, Edinburgh and Manchester. The Society is the UK Government’s lead civil society partner on open policymaking and participation in the National Action Plan on open government.

Its recent projects include NHS Citizen, a participation infrastructure for the health service in England that has been called “the most exciting participation project in Europe in the last twenty years”; work with the Scottish Government on the Fairer Scotland programme; and projects on local participation with several local authorities in England.

Anthony is regularly involved as an external expert on democracy in European organisations and networks such as the European Council of Regions and the Club of Venice. Before working for Demsoc, Anthony was a civil servant, first with the Department of Health, later with the Cabinet Office, Privy Council Office and HM Treasury. He also spent four years in local government, first as Head of Policy then as Acting Director of Strategy & Governance at Brighton & Hove City Council.