Unlock Democracy, the leading civil and political rights pressure group, says it agrees with a call for Wednesday's Queen's speech to give way to a package of democratic reforms.

“Reform so as to preserve” is still the mantra of the political elite in Britain. But civil society organisations, faith groups, politicians and ordinary people can help change the agenda, says Simon Barrow.

A statement about electoral reforms made by Gordon Brown yesterday, which could include the end to the first-past-the post voting system in general elections, has been given a cautious welcome by democracy campaigners who also expressed concern.

Unlock Democracy, the bi-partisan campaign for political and constitutional reform, says that Gordon Brown's gestures towards changes in the voting system are "a textbook example of how not to do electoral reform."

Unlock Democracy, which promotes democratic renewal and active engagement in the political process, has criticised Lord Goldsmith's citizenship review for its narrow view of what it means to be a UK citizen.

Lord Goldsmith, speaking for the government citizenship review, walked into a backlash today over proposals that school-leavers should be encouraged to swear an oath of allegiance to Queen and country.