Power and Participation in Modern Britain - New Report, February 2008

How are decisions really made in the UK, and by whom? In the light of the government's Governance programme for democratic reform, an understanding of who wields power and who participates in political processes is more important than ever. Democratic Audit publishes today the findings of its detailed overview of the landscape. It finds some cause for optimism, for instance an upsurge of popular campaigning, some of it web-based. But there remain huge and growing power divides, with members of underprivileged social and economic groups unable to make their voices heard by the overcentralised UK state.

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Hard-copies can be obtained by sending a £12.50 cheque payable to 'Democratic Audit' to Democratic Audit, Denmore Lodge, Brunswick Gardens, Cambridge, CB5 8DQ. 

A World of Difference: Parliamentary oversight of external policy condemned. 17/12/07: Democratic Audit, One World Trust and Federal Trust publish today 'A World of Difference', a report condemning the ineffectiveness of Parliament in overseeing foreign policy during the 2006-7 session; and making reform proposals. Read our press release or download report here.

Here are summaries of key Audit research on urgent democratic issues in the UK:

1. The government's 'tough' counter terrorism laws, practice and rhetoric will encourage and assist 'home-grown' terrorism.
   
   
2. Foreign and EU policy has profound effects on everyday life in the UK but is beyond democratic control.
   
   
3. Are we on the brink of reforms to make going to war subject to some parliamentary control?
   
   
4. The British National Party is stronger than you may think.

1. Social and economic well-being and confidence are essential to an inclusive democracy. We argue that Britain requires enforceable economic, social and cultural rights for everyone in an increasingly divided and unequal society.
   
   
2. Our reviews of democracy and political freedom in the UK, including our major study, 'Democracy under Blair' and two studies of the previous Conservative regime. Our findings are that the Labour government was making limited advances towards improving British democracy up to 2001, but since then it has regressed badly, especially with the unconstitutional and manipulative handling of the decision to invade Iraq.
   
   
3. Foreign, or external, policies deeply affect the everyday lives of the British people, but the public, and even MPs, are largely powerless spectators of government foreign policy-making. We reveal the pre-democratic powers that the then Prime Minister used to go to war and to make the UK Bush's closest ally.
   
   
4. What are the views of the British public on issues of democracy, rights and freedoms? Democratic Audit has collaborated with the Joseph Rowntree Reform trust on the 'State of the Nation' series of polls since 1992.
   
   
5. ManifestoWatch: What pledges did New Labour make on democratic issues in its election manifesto? What pledges did all the other parties make? Read the full summary of all their proposals in our feature, Manifesto Watch.

1. The deficiencies of the Freedom of Information regime.
   
   
2. Reform of the House of Lords has dragged on inconclusively for years, largely because the previous Prime Minister obstructed all attempts to make the second chamber either fully or mostly elected, and not a largely appointed chamber. But now reform is promised.
   
   
3. Electoral reform may be on the agenda if there is a hung Parliament after the next election. The danger is that Labour might insist on an electoral system that is even more disproportionate than first-past-the-post. On the eve of elections under the proportionate AMS system in Scotland and Wales, we give some background analysis.
   
   
4. Democratic Audit led the way in revealing and analysing the spread of the quango state and its lack of accountability, even to ministers. Read our analysis here.