Achieving accountable government
Changing the relationship between the civil service and Parliamentary committees could improve accountability
Select committees and Whitehall departments must improve their relationships to increase the effectiveness of civil servants’ accountability to Parliament. This requires action to be taken, and behaviour to change, on both sides, says Pepita Barlow of the Institute for Government. One part of the government’s civil service reform agenda that has received scant attention is […]
Book Review: Factional Politics: How Dominant Parties Implode or Stabilize
Divisions within dominant political parties are nothing new, as has been illustrated by the Conservative Party’s renewed infighting over Europe. But how does internal party dissent begin, and what effects does it have on political parties in power? Ulrich Sieberer finds this book to be rich in empirical detail, praises its analysis of how some parties are […]
Those who argue outsourcing endangers accountability are still fighting the last war
Critics of the practice of outsourcing – paying external organisations to provide public services – point to a lack of democratic accountability and public service ethos in justifying their view. But is this fair? Simon Parker, the Director of the New Local Government Network think tank, and a veteran of the CBI’s Public Services Strategy […]
Parliamentary committees could hold the answer to Britain’s democratic decline
British democracy is stuck in a deflated, short-term trap thanks to a number of slow burning structural changes such as the rise of the 24 hour media. Here, Professor Ian Marsh, the author of ‘Democratic Decline and Democratic Renewal: Political Change in Britain, Australia and New Zealand’ argues that newly empowered Parliamentary committees hold the […]
Democratic round-up: the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill
The Government’s Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning & Trade Union Administration Bill receives its Second Reading the House of Commons today. Criticism has been rife, with campaigners on the left and right taking issue with provisions which it is said could limit free speech. Here, Sean Kippin takes a look at the must-read analysis, news […]
Lobbyists and corporations have opportunities to exercise significant influence over UK public policy
MPs have this week been debating the government’s controversial Lobbying Bill, which has now concluded its committee stage in the House of Commons. In the 2012 audit of UK democracy, Stuart Wilks-Heeg, Andrew Blick, and Stephen Crone considered the involvement of lobbyists in policy-making, noting previous attempts to ensure transparency. They also explored the other routes of influence that the private sector is […]
Free Schools set the standard for school accountability to the local community
Free Schools, given their freedom from local authorities, have been criticised for lacking accountability, including by Chris Waterman recently on Democratic Audit. Here Natalie Evans, Director of the New Schools Network, argues that, on the contrary, Free Schools are in fact more transparent and accountable than the majority of schools. Subject not only to the same inspections and […]
War, Peace and Parliament: experts respond to the government’s defeat on Syrian intervention
The government’s defeat in the House of Commons on the issue of military intervention represents a constitutional landmark. Although Parliament still lacks any formal war powers, the Prime Minister has pledged to abide by MPs’ decision. In this post, Democratic Audit asks leading parliamentary and constitutional experts for their views on the implications of the […]
Democratic round-up: Parliament and Syria
Prime Ministers don’t often lose votes in the House of Commons. It is particularly rare when it comes to matters of war and peace. Last night, the House of Commons bucked the trend and voted against British military involvement in Syria. Here, Sean Kippin looks at the best pieces of news and analysis emerging from […]
David Cameron’s Syria defeat was unexpected, but Prime Ministers are regularly forced to bow to Parliament’s will
David Cameron’s defeat last night in the Commons on his motion on military intervention in Syria has been met with shock, and correctly seen as a very visible assertion of parliamentary power. Dr Meg Russell of the Constitution Unit at UCL argues that although such confrontations are unusual, it would be wrong to assume that […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.