Author Archive: Democratic Audit UK
Don’t knock clicktivism: it represents the political participation aspirations of the modern citizen
We are surrounded by simple online participatory processes asking for our opinions through one-click online petitions, content sharing, and social buttons. Max Halupka discusses his article Clicktivism: A Systematic Heuristic, which emphasises that this so-called “clicktivism” is a legitimate political act. However, he argues that these acts have been largely marginalised in the mainstream political science […]
Could Corbyn win an election by mobilising non-voters? Not if he doesn’t win over Conservative supporters too
Less than a year after the election, average polls suggest that Labour continue to poll at about the same level or worse than the 2015 result. Anthony McDonnell writes that this is worrying for the Left, as previous trends indicate their poll numbers usually rise significantly relative to the Conservatives’ within months of the Tories […]
Open Up or Shut Up? David Cameron’s three transparency problems
Politicians who guarantee greater transparency frequently find their promises coming back to haunt them. Ben Worthy writes that although the Prime Minister has done nothing against the law, his high profile bid to tackle tax evasion and castigation of tax dodgers in the past left him open to charges of hypocrisy when his own tax affairs came under the spotlight […]
Book Review: Networked Publics and Digital Contention: The Politics of Everyday Life in Tunisia by Mohamed Zayani
How has ‘the networked public’ contributed to the development of new social movements, strategies of resistance and an evolving relationship between the state and society in the realm of the everyday? In Networked Publics and Digital Contention: The Politics of Everyday Life in Tunisia, Mohamed Zayani takes Tunisia as a case study, drawing upon fieldwork, […]
The generation gap: How young voters view the UK’s referendum
Opinion polls on the UK’s upcoming referendum have consistently shown a clear generational divide, with younger voters more likely to support staying in the EU than older citizens. Using recent survey data, James Sloam assesses the factors underpinning this split, noting that if young people have such a distinct position on the EU, it is […]
The government must stop the UK being used as a haven for illicit wealth if it wants to lead on tackling global corruption
Steve Goodrich assesses the significance of the Panama papers leak for the UK and writes that evidence so far raises serious questions over the role of British intermediaries and the UK property market in facilitating global corruption. He outlines several recommendations for steps the government can and should take if it is serious about preventing […]
Although it has been largely ignored, soft security matters in the EU referendum debate
People fear the extreme and demand their governments be tough on security, but in truth our safety comes largely through control of the mundane. Matt Wood and Rita Hordósy write that the current Brexit debates links security to concerns about immigration and the danger of a terrorist attack. However, if we see long-term economic and social stability as related […]
Watching from the sidelines: Wales and Brexit
From a Welsh perspective there’s a sense of having been watching the EU referendum from the sidelines until now. But now campaigning for both the Assembly and referendum votes have launched in earnest, the confusion of concerns and agendas will be hard to escape, writes Jo Hunt. Similar PostsHidden dragon: why is Wales ignored in London and […]
David Cameron and the Tax Havens: Transparency is only a partial answer to a much bigger question
Since 2011 David Cameron has been pushing for a public ‘Beneficial Ownership’ list to increase transparency around assets and business interests. In this post, Ben Worthy considers how effective such a register will be at opening up tax havens or tackling avoidance of the kind seen in the Panama papers leak. He writes that – […]
The EU doesn’t weaken UK parliamentary democracy as much as Leavers would have you believe
For many advocates of a Brexit, the principle of ‘returning powers to Westminster’ is sacrosanct. They point out that parliamentary debate subjects legislation to proper domestic scrutiny in a way that is impossible in Brussels and Strasbourg. Yet, argues Thomas Winzen, Britain’s opt-outs and the considerable parliamentary time already devoted to EU-related questions suggest that the Commons […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.