Achieving accountable government
Crowdsourcing a British constitution: lessons from Iceland
In the wake of the financial crisis, Iceland was seen by many as a beacon of democracy in its attempt to create a new constitution. Activist and author, Smári McCarthy argues that although some may have seen Iceland as a utopia, the efforts put into creating the new constitution have largely been squandered as those responsible for […]
20 things we learned about democracy in January 2014
The first month of what promises to be a momentous year for UK democracy has produced more than a few surprising revelations. In this post Democratic Audit looks back at the insights we have gleaned in the past 31 days, ranging from parliamentary mothers and unfree information to honourable barbers and the end of libel […]
Selecting committee witnesses: experts back the call for a more even gender balance
Democratic Audit recently published a new report which analysed the identity of select committee witnesses in view of their increasing prominence and influence. Our research found that there was a substantial gender imbalance between those who speak in front of committees. We asked a number of democracy experts to give their views on the research, the […]
Freedom of Information in Britain is being subtly (but perceptibly) eroded
The Freedom of Information Act has become a central part of British political life, with citizens increasingly relying on its provisions to ensure a greater degree of transparency is brought to bear on politicians and government. Likewise, journalists increasingly use it as a source of materiel for stories. However the recent direction of travel by […]
We will get nowhere in the lobbying debate while it is conceived as a clash between evil corporations who lobby and well-meaning interest groups who do not
In order to create an appropriate regulatory framework for ‘the lobbying industry’ we need first to take seriously the size and scope of the industry, argues Phil Parvin. Safeguards to ensure economic power does not simply translate into political power are important but we also need to accept that lobbying is a fundamental aspect of democratic decision-making. Similar […]
Expanding the resources and powers of Healthwatch and Overview & Scrutiny Committees would improve the local accountability of health services
Unlike many other public services, the NHS is not subject to local democratic control. In this post – a second extract from Democratic Audit’s new ebook – Sally Ruane examines the barriers to local democratic engagement in the NHS, and identifies ways to improve accountability through local authorities and Healthwatch. Similar PostsCitizens’ ability to influence NHS services is undermined by […]
Citizens’ ability to influence NHS services is undermined by the complexity and ceaseless reform of systems for patient and public representation
Unlike many other public services, the NHS is not subject to local democratic control. In this post – an extract from a new Democratic Audit ebook – Sally Ruane explores the recent history of patient and public involvement in the NHS, including the impact of the coalition government’s reforms. Similar PostsExpanding the resources and powers of Healthwatch and […]
Interview: Jeremy Heywood on his time in the private sector, big data, and evidence-based policymaking
Sir Jeremy Heywood is the Cabinet Secretary, and thus one of the country’s most senior civil servants, and an influential adviser to the Prime Minister. In part two of this interview with Ipsos MORI’s Chief Executive, Ben Page, he talks about his time in the private sector, the challenge presented by evidence-based policy making, and […]
Ends and means: experts debate the democratic oversight of the UK’s intelligence services
Revelations from Edward Snowden about the scope of intelligence activities in the UK have led to renewed attempts to enhance democratic oversight of the UK’s security services. The heads of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ appeared before the Intelligence and Security Committee for the first time, while Lord Macdonald called for strengthened parliamentary accountability. In this post, we ask […]
Interview: Sir Jeremy Heywood on his role, the civil service, and public sector reform
As Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood is one of the country’s top two civil servants, and a key adviser to the Prime Minister. Here Ben Page, the Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI, interviews him and discusses his position, the role of the civil service, and public service reform. This is part one of a two part interview […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.