"We're Not in a Democracy, It's a Facade" Siobhan Strode
Power, genocide and the collapse of political integrity in the UK
Apathy is not an accident. It’s manufactured. And it’s no match for organised communities.
In this episode, I speak with
, advocacy consultant, activist and founder of This Sister Speaks. With a background in politics, education, and union organising, Siobhan brings fierce clarity to how the UK political system keeps power consolidated, from town councils to Parliament and how everyday people can resist.We spoke just before last month’s local elections, where Reform UK went on to gain incredible ground (taking a third of the vote in my town of Stevenage). It’s a moment that perfectly reflects one of Siobhan’s core messages: we are being sold apathy while elites protect their power.
One of the most chilling examples we discuss is the UK’s complicity in the genocide unfolding in Gaza. Siobhan names the funding links, the betrayals and the strategic silencing that have allowed Keir Starmer’s Labour to endorse a humanitarian catastrophe.
But this conversation isn’t just critique. Siobhan offers tools, community, and grounded hope for anyone who wants to act. From boycotting unethical companies to building local solidarity, she shows how collective action is still possible and powerful… even in a system designed to make us feel powerless.
You can learn more about her work on Instagram or connect with her on LinkedIn.
Local government isn’t broken, it’s been dismantled
Many people assume that councils hold meaningful influence over what gets built or funded in their communities. As Siobhan explains, decades of political decisions have left local government hollowed out. Councillors are often unpaid and under-resourced, with little actual power to stop harmful developments or invest in community resilience. The system is designed to deflect blame while denying agency.
Labour’s silence on Gaza isn’t caution: it’s complicity
While many still hope the Labour Party can be a vehicle for progressive change, Siobhan doesn’t hold back. She names how Keir Starmer dismantled the party’s socialist commitments and aligned it with corporate donors, including those tied to Israeli lobbying groups.
Labour’s refusal to condemn the genocide in Gaza is not a neutral stance. It is protection of a status quo that benefits from war, surveillance, and extractive global politics. Voters who once believed in Jeremy Corbyn solidarity now watch as those principles are erased in favour of political calculation.
As Siobhan puts it: you don’t take hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations without strings attached. Starmer’s silence on Gaza is not just disappointing, it’s morally indefensible.
Starmer reversed a movement that once stood for justice
Siobhan speaks to the heartbreak many on the left feel, not just at Labour’s current stance, but at the betrayal of the political vision it once represented. She was part of the grassroots surge that supported Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, organising online, on the streets and in her local CLP (constituency Labour Party). The hope was real. And so was the betrayal.
"I became an admin in the We Support Jeremy Corbyn Facebook page... it really enlivened people to join the Labour movement."
Today, she says, those same people are voting or walking away altogether. Not because they’re apathetic, but because they see the dissonance of what mainstream parties to get elected, and what they actually deliver.
Resistance doesn’t require permission
You don’t need to be an MP or lead a protest to show up politically. Boycotting unethical brands, using apps like the No Thanks app to avoid companies funding genocide, showing up at a Palestine solidarity screening, or simply telling your truth. These are all acts of resistance.
Resistance looks different for everyone. But it begins with awareness. And it builds in community.
Storytelling as activism
Through her programme This Sister Speaks, Siobhan supports women* from all backgrounds in reclaiming their voices. Whether it’s sharing a post online, applying to a local campaign, or simply recognising your voice matters, speaking out is a radical act in a society that has long told many of us to stay quiet.
Siobhan’s work reminds us that politics is not just about parties or elections. It’s about culture, courage, and connection.
Quotes to sit with
"Voting should be about the most vulnerable people in society. You vote on their behalf. That’s what solidarity looks like."
"Stop drinking Coca-Cola. Stop buying from companies that fund genocide. Use your money like it matters, because it does."
“Keir Starmer stabbed all the Labour members in the back... He literally ripped the entire [socialist] thing apart and we had f*ck all policies."
So much of our political culture makes us feel small. Like our individual choices cannot matter in a broken system. But as Siobhan makes clear, silence and disconnection are part of the design. We may not be able to change everything overnight. But we can do something. And that something grows when we do it together.
Ready to go deeper? Watch the full episode on YouTube below, or listen on
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Where in your life have you been quiet because you felt unsure or overwhelmed, and what’s one small way you could begin to show up more fully today?