Achieving accountable government
20 things we learned about democracy in November 2014
Traditionally, November isn’t a particularly pleasant month, with autumn giving way to winter, and Christmas just too far away to provide any real solace. But did we learn anything about democracy that might cheer us up? Democratic Audit’s Sean Kippin does his best to do just that, bringing us factoids about white vans, immigration, Prime […]
In constructing her first Cabinet, Nicola Sturgeon has shown a commitment to sending ‘a strong, positive message to girls and young women’
Nicola Sturgeon recently announced her new Cabinet. Following her selection as Scotland’s first female First Minister, she told the Scottish Parliament that she hoped her presence in the top job would send ‘a strong, positive message to girls and young women – indeed, to all women – across our land’. But, asks Emily Andrews, is the composition of […]
Any reform to the arrangements for governing England must take account of the country’s diversity of views
Labour MP Emily Thornberry’s controversial tweet has once again fuelled debates about English identity and constitutional reform. Felicity Matthews looks at Prime Minister David Cameron’s defence of his ‘English votes for English laws’ proposal. She argues that the diversity of views within England should be taken into account, or the union may be vulnerable to […]
The progressive ideals behind Open Government Data are being used to further interests of the neoliberal state
A range of social actors are pushing for Open Government Data, from open research advocates to the private sector, resulting in a complex and contested landscape. Jo Bates examines recent developments on how the government have been able to use the rhetoric of transparency for political ends, paving the way for the implementation of long term austerity. She argues we cannot […]
Magna Carta can still challenge the orthodoxy and help resolve today’s democratic difficulties
What influence does Magna Carta, signed 800 years ago at Runnymede by King John, continue to have over UK democracy and governance? A lot, according to Andrew Blick, who points out that taken as a whole, it is a surprisingly enduring document which still influences our political and democratic choices to this day. Similar PostsA new […]
UK voters see divided political parties as less able to make sensible or coherent policies
It is often said that ‘divided parties lose elections’, with the experience of the Conservatives in the 1990s cited as supporting evidence. But is this the case? Looking at evidence from the British Election Survey (BES), Zachary D. Greene argues that perceptions of party disunity does indeed play a role in how voters assess the […]
The European Union must have a closer link to national politics if it is to retain its legitimacy
This year has seen much discussion about the next President about the European Commission. Anand Menon writes that while much of this debate has focused on the merits of Jean-Claude Juncker and the other candidates, the real issue is a structural one concerning the future of the European Parliament. He argues that, regardless of the […]
Social media may have the potential to truly enhance our democracy, but there is still distance to go
What role can social media play in our democracy, and will its potential to affect genuine change be effectively harnessed? In a recent event in the Palace of Westminster, Carl Miller and Alessia Tranchese of Demos scoped where social media is and can have an effect, concluding that we still have a long way to go […]
The party leaders must ensure that the next set of election debates don’t focus solely on England
In 2010, the three party leaders; Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Nick Clegg, made very few mentions of devolution or of the devolved nations. Kristi Winters and Edzia Carvalho argue that the leaders this time around should take steps to ensure that the debates strike a more inclusive tone, ensuring that they represent a genuinely national […]
The PwC report on Tower Hamlets highlights fundamental tensions in local democracy, not always thought through clearly in new mayoral systems
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government recently appointed commissioners to run the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, following the publication of a Government-commissioned PWC report which was damning about the failings of the current adminstration, led by Mayor Lutfur Rahman. Michael Keith, a former Leader of the Council, argues that the affair […]
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