Informing and engaging citizens
Democratic revival can come from devolved democracy
The British state is being dramatically restructured by the ongoing wave of devolution deals but the focus so far has been on devolving economic powers and the delivery of public services. The next step should be to devolve decisions about how local democracy is organised to the cities, regions and local authorities, to help reinvigorate […]
How effectively does the Scottish Parliament scrutinise the Scottish government?
Scotland’s Parliament was set up with the partial intention of creating for Scotland a superior system of Government than was enjoyed at the UK level. But how effectively does is scrutinise its executive? In advance of the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections, which the SNP are expected to dominate, Peter Lynch looks at some of the […]
Terrorism does not destroy, provided we restrain our excusable instinct to dive into the false security of a police state
The attacks in Paris have shocked the world, with governments seeking to enhance security measures to prevent such tragic events repeating themselves. Conor Gearty looks at the motives and tactics of terrorist groups, and argues that groups like “Islamic State” ultimately cannot build but only destroy, which is why our civilisation will endure provided we […]
The UK is, alongside other large states like Germany and France, at the heart of the EU policymaking process
How influential is the UK in EU decision-making? In the third in a series of articles, Simon Hix presents evidence on the countries EU member states choose to cooperate with during negotiations in the Council of the European Union. He writes that UK officials appear to be the best connected of all the member states’ […]
Without an agreement between the party leaders there is nothing further that Britain can do for Syria
The recent attacks on Beruit, Paris and a Russian airliner flying over the Sinai desert indicate ISIS is growing bolder and the question of Britain’s response has naturally returned to the fore. But James Strong argues that the latest international attack will change nothing about the politics of British policy in Syria due to the […]
Closing migration routes into France won’t stop terrorism – resisting xenophobia might
The world has been stunned by the brutal attacks which took place in Paris, which IS has claimed as their own work. One of the attackers allegedly entered Europe, posing as a refugee, leading some to suggest that closing migration routes into Europe may be one way of preventing further atrocities. Durukan Kuzu argues that this […]
Fewer and older: Consequences of the decline in party membership in the UK
Recent years have seen an increase in membership of some of the smaller parties but this has not compensated for the overall decline in party membership across the UK. Andrew Defty considers the implications of this, from the reduced revenues to the key role played by party activists. Similar PostsEuro elections – previewing the election in […]
The BBC needs a new and robust system of governance to guarantee its independence
Most agree the BBC Trust is a busted flush, but that leaves a dilemma of finding a model of governance which provides the best guarantee for the BBC’s independence. Howard Davies writes there are two important issues to be resolved: one of process, making sure that any government decision is submitted to proper scrutiny; the other […]
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, […]
The new top-up powers for Scotland on welfare represent the advent of ‘defensive devolution’
There is a lively debate in Scotland over the extent of the Scottish government’s new powers over welfare, with the Scotland Bill in Westminster being strengthened by Government amendments. Gavin Kelly discusses the political implications of the move, and describes the new arrangement as representing ‘defensive devolution’. Similar PostsDoes Nicola Sturgeon’s refusal to increase the […]
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