Tag: John Bercow
Who is the Leader of the Opposition?
David Howarth explains the legislation and parliamentary rules that determine who is recognised as the official Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. The political implications of these procedures are significant, given current discussions about who would form a government if the current one were to lose a vote of no confidence.
Elections to the NHS show that online voting is still in its infancy
The 1997-2010 Labour government introduced elections to certain authorities which oversee the National Health Service. Some of these elections now take place online, with ballots cast digitally. The Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy recommended last year that digital voting be expanded to UK general elections in order to help foster a climate of improved engagement. […]
The Speaker election row tells us two important things about parliament
On 26 March, its final sitting day, the House of Commons rejected government proposals to reform how the Speaker is elected at the start of the new parliament. Here Meg Russell reflects on what this teaches us about parliament, suggesting it holds two lessons. First, that the 2010 House of Commons was more resistant than […]
The pressure is growing for Commons bill committee reform
In June 2013 the Constitution Unit published Fitting the Bill: Bringing Commons Legislation Committees into Line with Best Practice, proposing a series of changes to Commons bill committees. Last week the issue was brought back into the headlines, as John Bercow emphasised the need for reform, says Meg Russell. Similar PostsThe Speaker election row tells us […]
Connecting knowledge to power: the future of digital democracy in the UK
Since its invention, the internet has been considered a ‘game-changer’ when it comes to democracy, with a worldwide network providing the potential to create a truly participatory democracy. This has yet to happen, but numerous individuals and groups are beginning to ask what can be done to marry the internet with representative democracy, including the […]
Towards a 21st Century Parliament
The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, recently spoke at the Hansard Society on the state of British democracy, and announced the creation of a Speakers Commission on digital democracy, and how to bring about what he terms ‘Parliament 2.0’. The commission will last a year, and will report in 2015, just […]
Choosing the Speaker of the House of Commons: some proposals for change
Should we change the way we select the Speaker of the House of Commons? The current system requires that the House select an MP, who then gives up their party label and their public political views. At general elections, Speakers’ seats are not contested by the main parties. Richard Berry and Sean Kippin argue that […]
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