Parliament
Political and constitutional turbulence in the UK looks set to continue to 2020
Scotland’s ‘No’ vote solves one acute existential threat to the UK, says Patrick Dunleavy, but only for now. The likely narrow results of the May 2015 general election, plus David Cameron’s promise of another referendum on the UK leaving the European Union in 2017, both promise massive constitutional turbulence between now and 2020. For instance, if the UK votes to leave the European Union in 2017,a near-immediate […]
When it comes to a fair constitutional settlement, beware of constitutional hyper-activism
The Flower of Scotland may well be blooming but a number of thorny issues face the Prime Minister and the leaders of the main parties in the UK, writes Matthew Flinders. The Prime Minister’s commitment to a ‘new and fair constitutional settlement’ not just for Scotland but for the whole of the United Kingdom may well reflect […]
The lack of gender equality in EU decision-making means EU citizens are still suffering from a ‘double democratic deficit’
The EU has often been accused of having a democratic deficit with respect to deficiencies in the representation of citizens in EU decision-making. Joyce Marie Mushaben and Gabriele Abels discuss the role of gender equality in assessments of EU democracy, including the notion that the lack of an adequate gender balance in EU institutions constitutes a ‘double democratic deficit’. […]
The Commons Clerk row is more than just a parochial dispute and has larger implications for the workings of Parliament
The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, has recently come under fire from some critics for apparently supporting the candidacy of a supposedly under-qualified Australian to replace the outgoing Clerk of the House of Commons, Sir Robert Rogers. Louise Thompson argues that although the row is of minimal interest to the public, it […]
20 things we learned about democracy in August 2014
Parliament was in recess throughout August, despite calls for its recall. Even so, none of this meant that British democracy stopped last month, with numerous interesting facts, factoids, and observations revealing themselves. Sean Kippin of Democratic Audit selects the best and most interesting. Similar Posts20 things we learned about democracy in March 201520 things we […]
Checking presidential powers is key to successful democratic performance in new semi-presidential countries
Numerous new democracies have adopted a semi-Presidential model which typically sees executive powers split between a President and a Prime Ministers. Presenting new research on the subject, Young Hun Kim argues that divided minority government is associated with higher levels of democracy, even though it can make political instability more likely. Similar PostsMoney is key for democratic politics […]
150 years is too long to wait – we need a 50:50 gender balanced Parliament now
What prevents more women from becoming active in politics? One potential answer is the ultimately sexist attitudes that pervade Britain’s political institutions, which Harriet Harman recently attempted to shed a light on. Ruby Lott-Lavinga argues that Harman’s experience tells a worrying story about sexism in politics, and that kicking out the old boys club is […]
Five minutes with Graham Allen: “unlike most democracies, the UK lacks a document that sets out the rules of the political game”
The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, chaired by Graham Allen MP, has launched a project which aims to consult with the public about whether the UK needs a written constitution, and what such a document should contains. He argues that the country would be better governed if we took the chance to give ourselves what […]
Elective dictatorship? The democratic mandate concept has become dangerously over-extended
Against the background of a general breakdown of public confidence in the political elite, politicians on both left and right have seen themselves not as part of a broader governing elite but as outsiders, empowered by their democratic mandate to shake up government and make it more responsive to the wishes of the people. Nat le Roux argues that taken […]
A small British Senate is the best alternative to the bloated and undemocratic House of Lords
House of Lords reform was scuppered in 2011 when the Conservatives opted not to back the Liberal Democrats’ plan in sufficient numbers. With David Cameron recently opting to appoint a new tranche of Lords and bringing the total size of the chamber to the highest level since 1999, talk of reform has returned. Stephen Barber […]
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