Parliament
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 […]
Parliamentary language should be updated, but the modernisation of our political institutions mustn’t stop there
John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, recently suggested that the old-fashioned language in use in Parliament may further reinforce the public’s sense of distance with democracy. Assessing his claims, Andrew Scott Crines argues that language is a problem, but that it would be a mistake to stop there, with the physical shape […]
Democracy is the biggest loser when parliament descends into farce
A recent House of Commons debate saw confusion reign over a Government motion on the European Arrest Warrant, with proceedings very quickly descending into farce. Louise Thompson argues that when this kind of shenanigans takes hold of Parliament, it is little wonder that people see MPs are being untrustworthy, partisan, and self-serving, with British democracy the […]
If there is to be a UK constitutional convention, it should look at the future of parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is more than just the right of MPs and Lords to say what they like without fear of legal consequence. In a week when this constitutional convention has been in the news due to the Labour MP Jimmy Hood making allegations about a member of the House of Lords, Andrew Blick explains what exactly […]
20 things we learned about democracy in October 2014
What happened in October 2014 that democrats will find interesting? Lots, it turns out, including revelations about the position of names on ballot papers, drones, and of course UKIP. Sean Kippin rounds up 20 interesting pieces of information that made themselves known this month. Similar Posts20 things we learned about democracy in January 2015How democratic […]
All parties should ignore calls for the Fixed Term Parliaments Act to be repealed
Labour recently announced its plan to keep the Fixed Term Parliament Act, which prevents an early election being called, should it win power at next May’s General Election. Petra Schleiter argues that those who are critical of the Act miss the key point that its adoption forced Prime Ministers to govern in a more inclusive way, […]
The debate on the future of the British constitution must involve civil society
The referendum on Scottish independence has produced a burst of interest in constitutional issues, particularly following the Prime Minister’s espousal of ‘English Votes for English Legislation’. John Tizard argues that what follows mustn’t be an elite-led conversation, which avoids offering local government as the only solution, while including a large role for civil society. Similar […]
20 things we learned about democracy in September 2014
September 2014 was a big month for democracy, with party conferences and of course the Scottish independence referendum. Democratic Audit’s Sean Kippin rounds up 20 things that we learned about democracy this month, and talks about the referendum and conferences, but also elections in the House of Lords, human rights, and KFC chicken. Similar PostsThe […]
After Scotland’s ‘No’ vote, what next for the UK constitution?
The UK constitution does not currently conform to any particular, identifiable model. Nor would it do were the constitutional reforms currently being proposed by the Government and various other parties come to pass. For example it would not be characterisable either as a federal system or as a unitary state. Rather, the constitution would remain messy and […]
Sweden’s Feminist Initiative are on the rise, but what does the history of women’s parties tell us about their prospects?
With the success of Soraya Post and Feminist Initiative in Sweden this year, Claire McGing looks at women’s political parties, how they emerge, what influences they can have, and the challenges they face. While the influence of women’s parties has historically frequently been transitory, they nonetheless have a ‘contagion’ effect on mainstream parties, who seek […]
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