The Traveller Movement launches its Operation Traveller Vote Campaign ahead of General Election 2024

Immediate release – 3rd June 2024

The Traveller Movement is relaunching its Operation Traveller Vote campaign ahead of the July 4th General Election. The campaign aims to bring awareness to Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities about the power of their voice at the ballot box, to increase voter registration, awareness and participation among these underrepresented communities. Alongside the campaign, the Traveller Movement is releasing a Manifesto with key policy recommendations aiming to bring the priorities of Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities to the forefront of all political parties’ election priorities and to empower Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish
Traveller people to engage with the political process.

Key highlights of the Operation Traveller Vote campaign:
• Manifesto launch: The manifesto will look at key areas where Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller people face poor outcomes and aims to provide actionable steps to tackle these poor outcomes. It serves as a call to action
for politicians, urging them to commit to these crucial issues.
• Political Pledge Initiative: As part of the campaign, the Traveller Movement is actively engaging with politicians, asking them to pledge their commitment to combating anti-Traveller hate and supporting the manifesto’s goals.
• Event with Electoral Commission: An online event with the Electoral Commission on June 18th marking the final date people can register to vote to get the final push out of registration.
• Voter registration events across the country: Sessions will be held by the Traveller Movement across the country aimed at getting people registered to vote and to equip people with the necessary knowledge and empowerment to use their voice in the democratic process.

Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities face chronic democratic underrepresentation and huge levels of discrimination by elected representatives.
Often used solely as a political football or as scapegoats by politicians, Operation Traveller Vote aims to demonstrate the democratic capacity of the communities.  Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller people are members of the wider electorate, and their priorities, concerns and disenfranchisement should be an essential facet of all political parties’ agenda of government.

Pauline-Melvin Anderson OBE (Chair of the Traveller Movement) said: “We encourage all Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller people to use their democratic right as citizens to vote and ask other communities to see anti-Traveller propaganda for what it is, a manipulation of the truth to get your vote.”

Dr David Smith (Professor at Anglia Ruskin University) said: “When politicians speak about inclusive agendas, they mean inclusion for only some but not for others. We want to see an agenda for government which is inclusive of Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller peope who up until this point have been left out of these discussions.”

Find the manifesto here

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Contacts
Grace Preston, Senior Policy Officer
020 7607 2002
Email address: cjs@travellermovement.org.uk

Notes to Editor
* TM is a national community development and advocacy organisation. The
organisation campaigns against discrimination and promotes inclusion, participation
and community engagement for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller
communities in Britain. TM is proud to work in partnership with the Romani (Gypsy),
Roma and Irish Traveller communities, together with service providers and policy
makers across the UK to better promote social inclusion and community cohesion.