Tag: Paul Cairney
The Smith Commission: will greater powers come with greater democratic accountability?
The Scottish independence referendum set in motion a chain of events which looks likely to lead to a greater degree of devolution to Scotland, with a commission chaired by Lord Smith of Kelvin set to report shortly with recommendations for exactly what form the relationship between Holyrood and Westminster should take. Paul Cairney, a noted […]
A guide to making a decision on how to vote in the Scottish Independence referendum
The Scottish independence referendum is drawing very close indeed, with the ‘No’ side holding a narrow advantage heading into the final straight. Here, Paul Cairney attempts to clear up how to make the decision as to how to vote for the minority who have not yet made up their minds. Similar PostsIf Westminster politicians think […]
The problem of the political class is easy to exaggerate, but difficult to define
It is frequently said that Britain’s quality of democracy is effected by a paucity of good quality politicians, with the “political class” existing as little but an impenetrable, self-interested elite, disconnected from the preferences of the masses. Here, Paul Cairney lifts the lid on the realities of the political class, and argues that the ‘political […]
The Scottish push towards local democracy carries potential unintended costs
The prospect of independence for Scotland is being treated by campaigners as an opportunity to instigate meaningful political and constitutional reform, including a major devolution of powers to local and municipal Government. But, argues Professor Paul Cairney, while it isn’t clear what the respective roles of the different tiers of Government will be, there are […]
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