Parliament
Little to lose and much to gain: making more use of soft law codes of standards in Westminster
The Constitution Unit of University College London recently published a report which sets out a code of constitutional standards based on the reports of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution. Jack Simson Caird talks through the rationale for – and findings of – the new report, which has the potential to improve greatly our […]
The time may have come for the creation of “all-men shortlists”
All-women shortlists have been a controversial but effective way of increasing the percentage of women in Parliament. However, its adoption also creates de-facto all-men lists, with strong male candidates coalescing around the non-all women seats. Rainbow Murray argues that the time has come to formalise the arrangements, with ‘all men’ and ‘all women’ seats being […]
New analysis reveals what types of organisation give evidence to parliamentary select committees
Parliamentary select committees are one of the most important sources of external input into the policy-making process. Committees call witnesses to their hearings, whether to hold them to account or to make use of their expertise in a particular field. Democratic Audit has been conducting research into the composition of these witnesses: in this first […]
Select committees are becoming increasingly significant, but show an enormous gender bias in their choice of witnesses
Select committees are now firmly established as an important part of our democratic architecture, making a bigger impression than ever before since the implementation of the 2010 Wright Committee reforms. But Democratic Audit research shows a staggering gender gap in the witnesses that provide them with oral evidence. While this is reflective of a set […]
This ludicrous obsession, parents in Parliament: the motherhood trap
The adoption of All-Women Short-lists by Labour and a concerted effort across both main parties to get more women into the House of Commons have had achieved notable gains for the presence of women in public life. Despite this, men still outnumber women four to one on the green benches. However the focus on headline […]
Parliamentary websites, transparency and the quality of democracy: where does the UK stand?
Parliamentary websites can help people engage with elected representatives and the democratic process. Devin Joshi and Erica Rosenfield have been comparing the websites of legislatures across the world. Here, they share their findings on how the UK Parliament compares to its international counterparts, finding it an excellent model worthy of being emulated elsewhere, with some room […]
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 […]
The size of the House of Lords is pushing 900 – and needs to come down
The House of Lords has grown from 666 members to 835 members over the last thirteen years, leaving it not only larger than the House of Commons, but the largest Upper Chamber in the world. Lord Norton argued in a recent speech to the House that this was a problem that needed to be looked at seriously, […]
100 things we learned about democracy in 2013: Part four
To mark the end of 2013, Democratic Audit has collected 100 of the most important, surprising and downright disturbing things we have learned about democracy this year. Here is part four of our list, covering everything from Parliamentary select committees to Cornish national identity. Similar Posts100 things we learned about democracy in 2013: Part three […]
100 things we learned about democracy in 2013: Part three
To mark the end of 2013, Democratic Audit has collected 100 of the most important, surprising and downright disturbing things we have learned about democracy this year. Here is part three of our list, covering everything from non-voting lothario Russell Brand to the (financial) value of your vote. Similar Posts100 things we learned about democracy […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.