Centre for Democratic Business

Publications

Articles

Membership Nation: Rebuilding Popular Democracy in the 21st Century

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #52 / Winter 2026

This article explores the decline of democratic membership organizations and its role in the current "crisis of democracy." It argues that professionalized, staff-driven NGOs have hollowed out civil society, and calls for a "Membership Nation" revival where mass participation, collective institutions, and member-led governance restore genuine political agency and community power.

Publications

Articles

Membership Nation: Rebuilding Popular Democracy in the 21st Century

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #52 / Winter 2026

Publications

Articles

Membership Nation: Rebuilding Popular Democracy in the 21st Century

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #52 / Winter 2026

This article explores the decline of democratic membership organizations and its role in the current "crisis of democracy." It argues that professionalized, staff-driven NGOs have hollowed out civil society, and calls for a "Membership Nation" revival where mass participation, collective institutions, and member-led governance restore genuine political agency and community power.

Publications

Articles

Embedding Co-operation in the Trust Model

by David Alcock and Graeme Nuttall

STIR Magazine #50 / Summer 2025

This article explores how the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) model can be reformed to include democratic co-operative principles. It examines the potential for registering an EOT’s trustee as a co-operative society, allowing employees to move beyond indirect ownership toward active, collective governance and membership.

Publications

Articles

Embedding Co-operation in the Trust Model

by David Alcock and Graeme Nuttall

STIR Magazine #50 / Summer 2025

Publications

Articles

Embedding Co-operation in the Trust Model

by David Alcock and Graeme Nuttall

STIR Magazine #50 / Summer 2025

This article explores how the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) model can be reformed to include democratic co-operative principles. It examines the potential for registering an EOT’s trustee as a co-operative society, allowing employees to move beyond indirect ownership toward active, collective governance and membership.

Publications

Articles

More than a century of community wealth – History & future of Britain’s social clubs

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #47 / Autumn 2024

This article explores Britain’s social clubs as a misunderstood form of community wealth, tracing their journey from Victorian educational tools to democratic hubs. It examines how revitalising these member-owned spaces can offer a powerful solution to modern social isolation and the decline of local infrastructure.

Publications

Articles

More than a century of community wealth – History & future of Britain’s social clubs

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #47 / Autumn 2024

Publications

Articles

More than a century of community wealth – History & future of Britain’s social clubs

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #47 / Autumn 2024

This article explores Britain’s social clubs as a misunderstood form of community wealth, tracing their journey from Victorian educational tools to democratic hubs. It examines how revitalising these member-owned spaces can offer a powerful solution to modern social isolation and the decline of local infrastructure.

Publications

Articles

Scaling up democratic ownership for truly democratic businesses

by Kosta Juri and Tej Gonza

STIR Magazine #47 / Autumn 2024

This article explores how to scale democratic ownership by adapting the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) model. It examines the potential for converting mature companies into worker-owned entities to decommodify business, anchor local wealth, and move beyond passive profit-sharing toward genuine workplace self-determination.

Publications

Articles

Scaling up democratic ownership for truly democratic businesses

by Kosta Juri and Tej Gonza

STIR Magazine #47 / Autumn 2024

Publications

Articles

Scaling up democratic ownership for truly democratic businesses

by Kosta Juri and Tej Gonza

STIR Magazine #47 / Autumn 2024

This article explores how to scale democratic ownership by adapting the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) model. It examines the potential for converting mature companies into worker-owned entities to decommodify business, anchor local wealth, and move beyond passive profit-sharing toward genuine workplace self-determination.

Publications

Articles

The Return of Ownership? How to really make the economy ‘fairer’

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #41 / Spring 2023

This article critiques the "social impact" movement for ignoring the fundamental role of business ownership in economic inequality. It argues for "democratic business" models that grant workers enforceable rights to assets and decision-making, moving beyond soft corporate social responsibility toward genuine economic democracy.

Publications

Articles

The Return of Ownership? How to really make the economy ‘fairer’

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #41 / Spring 2023

Publications

Articles

The Return of Ownership? How to really make the economy ‘fairer’

by Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

STIR Magazine #41 / Spring 2023

This article critiques the "social impact" movement for ignoring the fundamental role of business ownership in economic inequality. It argues for "democratic business" models that grant workers enforceable rights to assets and decision-making, moving beyond soft corporate social responsibility toward genuine economic democracy.