Achieving accountable government
Fast-tracking the Investigatory Powers Bill is undesirable and unnecessary
Following the Paris attacks, Lord Carlile QC has called for the draft Investigatory Powers Bill to be expedited, so that it becomes law by the end of this year, rather than by December 2016. Natasha Simonsen and Cian Murphy argue that this would be a mistake, in part because existing flaws in the investigatory powers law […]
Recent events regarding ‘stop and search’ in Scotland should deliver some sharp lessons in political accountability
The rise and recent fall of mass stop and search in Scotland is an extraordinary phenomenon. Here, Dr Kath Murray examines the implications for human rights and argues that recent events in Scotland should deliver some sharp lessons in political accountability. This post originally appeared on Democratic Audit – Scotland Similar PostsBook Review: Politics against […]
Is political representation in Britain becoming more diverse?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have a statutory duty to regularly report on the state of human rights and equality in the UK. Based on the Commission’s latest review, ‘Is Britain Fairer?’, Janna Miletzki and Hazel Wardrop write that while formal political representation is more diverse than in 2010, the findings for informal participation are […]
What will the long term impact of the Cabinet Manual be? Developments in New Zealand may hold the answer
Gordon Brown introduced the Cabinet Manual in 2011 in advance of what looked set to be a coalition or minority government in order to clarify the operation of government at a time when conventions and unwritten rules looked to be insufficient. The Cabinet Secretary at the time, Gus O’Donnell, who drew the document up, took […]
Voters do not improve their evaluations of the political system simply because the government is behaving well
Established political parties across the democratised world are struggling to regain their previous levels of popularity, with scandal, voter fatigue, and an inability to tackle the issues that motivate voters proving a toxic combination for both parties and the political systems they operate within. But when parties are seen to be behaving well in government, […]
Reclaiming democracy: A systems approach to change the system
Oliver Escobar writes that despite the increasing emphasis on deliberative democracy, scholars are only just starting to formulate a perspective that accommodates and values various meanings and practices of democracy as part of a coherent deliberative system. He therefore welcomes the systemic approach articulated by Simon Burrall in Involve’s new report ‘Room for a View’ […]
The Scottish independence referendum shows that young people can be mobilized politically given the right circumstances
16 and 17 year olds were entitled to vote for the first time in any election held in the UK in the Scottish independence referendum. Advocates of the reform argued that it would help to engage younger people in the political process, setting the stage for greater engagement in democracy over future election cycles, while […]
Are EU referendums undermining parliamentary sovereignty?
Rather than empowering the electorate, argue Ben Wellings and Emma Vines, the EU referendum measures passed by Parliament reveal the triumph of populist politics. The Eurozone crisis framed European politics from 2010 onwards, but beyond Brussels, older challenges to European integration gathered strength. One such challenge was the intensification of populist politics, opposed to further European […]
There is real cause for concern when the persuasiveness of a story depends more on public attitudes than the facts
What does the recent public shaming and subsequent exoneration of Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind over accusations of ‘cash for access’ tell us about British democracy? Nothing good, certainly. But did the investigation by Channel Four and the Telegraph lift the lid on the secret world of British politics as intended? Phil Parvin suggests not, […]
Lobbying reform: We need political will not gesture politics
Transparency International UK recently looked into the effectiveness of the new register of lobbyists, introduced following the 2014 Lobbying Act, and found it tells us almost nothing we didn’t know. TI-UK’s Steve Goodrich outlines the background and findings, and offers suggestions about what can be done if the UK Government is committed to increasing transparency […]
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