The Democracy & Communities forum focused on local democracy and ideas for improving our communities. It considered a wide range of issues such as crime and the environment, as well as democratic reform and citizen engagement.

Chaired by Matt Cooke
Matt Cooke is a Labour councillor and cabinet member for Community Cohesion in the London Borough of Haringey.

Matt studied at the Royal Academy of Music before being elected as President of the University of London Union.

Matt worked for a number of charities before moving to Parliament to run the Westminster office of Labour MP, Pat McFadden.

Matt has been a Labour activist for many years and is campaigns co-ordinator for Hornsey and Wood Green CLP, a Governor at two north London schools and was an ambassador for London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

He writes regularly for Progress magazine and website, maintains his own local website: www.boundsgreenhome.com and tweets under the name mattcooke2012.