20 things we learned about democracy in February 2014

February is the shortest month of the year, but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t learned an awful lot about democracy. In just 28 short days, we’ve found out about online voting, the public’s dismal view of Prime Minister’s Questions, perceptions of corruption, and an unlikely revival for a Jeffrey Archer storyline.

Could the Conservate Party be reduced to a single member by 2020? (Credit: Conservativeparty, CC BY 2.0)

1) A recent EU anti-corruption report shows that 69% of UK citizens see our media as corrupt, 55% for Parliament, and 24% for the judiciary. Find out more here.

2) The Liberal Democrats have lost their deposit in 8 consecutive by-elections since the formation of the Coalition. Find out more here.

3) David Bowie will not be Dancing in the Street if Scotland votes to ch-ch-ch-change its relationship with the UK. Find out more here.

4) In a survey conducted by Lodestone, 60.6% of people overall said they are more likely to vote if they could vote online, and 81.7% of the 18-35 year age group. Find out more here.

5) 17 year olds can vote in primaries in 17 US states. Find out more here.

6) Only 12% of people are ‘proud’ of Prime Minister’s Questions. Find out more here.

7) 16 year olds are more inclined to vote than 18 year olds. Find out more here.

8) On current trends, the Conservative Party will have one member left by 19th March 2020. Find out more here.

9) A dozen of the MPs who voted against the smoking in cars bill have tobacco industry links. Find out more here.

10) Over 6 in 10 (64%) of adults aged 18 and over in the UK in 2011–12, agreed or strongly agreed that they would seriously be neglecting their duty as a citizen if they didn’t vote. Find out more here.

11) The CBI thinks that ‘political uncertainty’ (elections) are a “mood killer” for business investment. Find out more here.

12) 57 out of 106 candidates selected by Labour in target seats are women. Find out more here.

13) In 2012-13, only 9 percent of those appointed to public bodies declared some form of political activity; which constitutes a marked decline from the 13 percent who declared some form of activity in 2011-12. Find out more here.

14) In Belgium, youth voter turnout outstrips older person turnout (this might have something to do with their laws on compulsory voting.) Find out more here.

15) The Conservative’s South East Cambridgeshire primary fiasco mirrors the plot of a Jeffrey Archer novel. Find out more here.

16) Electing more scientists to the House of Commons won’t necessarily bring about an increase in evidence-based policy making. Find out more here.

17) There is a fully functioning Rifle Range underneath the House of Lords. Find out more here.

18) Ministers do not need to inform Parliament of everything that is happening that is happening in their department, according to Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary. Find out more here.

19) There may be as many as 5.5 million UK expats, but only around 20,000 registered to vote. Find out more here.

20) It is possible to be a Government minister for up to two years without being a member of the House of Commons or Lords. Find out more here.

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Inset images:

David Bowie, Credit: zelenykabinet, CC BY-SA 2.0; Harriet Harman, Credit: Credit: UK Parliament, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0