May 2016 elections

Predicting the 2020 election? We are not even sure if the results of 2015 are going to change.

Predicting the 2020 election? We are not even sure if the results of 2015 are going to change.

Last Thursday, the UK went to the polls. While different parts of the country voted in different elections for posts of varying significance, political observers could draw conclusions from a wide and varied set of results. Here, Alun Wyburn-Powell gives his take on proceedings, and on the news that the Conservatives may be forced to […]

Why Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is stuck on repeat after this poor election showing

Why Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is stuck on repeat after this poor election showing

The 2016 elections in England showed that Labour are not, according to Jeremy Corbyn’s critics, making the progress that they ought to be at this stage in the electoral cycle as an opposition party. Here, Alistair Clark explains why the Labour leader is stuck on repeat.  Similar Posts‘Super Thursday’ showed us that British politics has […]

Scottish election 2016: disaster for Labour, reality check for the SNP – and the Tories are back

Scottish election 2016: disaster for Labour, reality check for the SNP – and the Tories are back

Craig McAngus offers an overview of the fallout of yesterday’s Scottish Parliamentary Elections, which saw the SNP fall short of a majority and a surprisingly strong Conservative revival. Similar Posts

Electing the London Mayor and Police Commissioners in England and Wales: How to use your two votes well

Electing the London Mayor and Police Commissioners in England and Wales: How to use your two votes well

British voters are used to having just one vote. But on 5 May this year a record number of voters in England and Wales will be using a two–vote electoral system to choose the London Mayor and Police Commissioners across the country, many for the first time. Wherever you stand politically, Professor Patrick Dunleavy explains […]

In Scotland, Wales and the London Assembly elections every voter has TWO choices tomorrow. Here’s how to use both votes well

In Scotland, Wales and the London Assembly elections every voter has TWO choices tomorrow. Here’s how to use both votes well

Voters are used to a two-vote electoral system for the Edinburgh Parliament, and the Assemblies in Cardiff and London. But how these systems operate changes a bit every time, with changing party fortunes. And this year some politicians (especially in Scotland) are advising voters to do things that may ‘waste’ one of their votes. Wherever […]

Police and Crime Commissioners: The forgotten elections

Police and Crime Commissioners: The forgotten elections

On May 5, England and Wales will elect police and crime commissioners (PCCs) for the second time, though you may not know about them. What are these elections about, who is in the race, and who will win are all important questions that surround a largely unheard election. In this article, Dr Kenneth Bunker covers […]

Scottish Parliament Election preview: Labour’s setting sun in the West

Scottish Parliament Election preview: Labour’s setting sun in the West

The West of Scotland is, in common with the rest of the country, a region where Labour has lost seats at a considerable rate, with 2016 likely to continue the trend. Here, Murray Leith rounds off Democratic Audit’s Scottish Parliament election previews, suggesting that Labour’s sun is setting in the West. Similar PostsEuropean elections 2019: […]

The Democratic Dashboard: A digital resource for engaging voters

The Democratic Dashboard: A digital resource for engaging voters

In March 2016, Democratic Dashboard 2.0 was launched, a web portal aimed at giving voters in the UK easily accessible information for the elections on May 5th. This was the culmination of several years of work and preparation by Democratic Audit UK, based in the LSE, seeking to engage voters in the increasingly active civic technology […]

Scottish Parliament election preview: Mid-Scotland and Fife have a varied political past, but SNP are staying put in 2016

Scottish Parliament election preview: Mid-Scotland and Fife have a varied political past, but SNP are staying put in 2016

The Kingdom of Fife is one of the few of Scotland’s regions which has returned a variety of different parties in elections both to Westminster and Holyrood. Here, Juliet Swann offers an overview of electoral fortunes since 1999 and details the 2016 contests. She writes that while a strong performance from the SNP is inevitable, […]

Scottish Parliament election preview: Continuity and change in the Highlands and Islands

Scottish Parliament election preview: Continuity and change in the Highlands and Islands

The Highlands and Islands region of Scotland covers an enormous land-mass, much of it extremely sparsely populated and remote. Traditionally, it has been a site of strength for the Liberal Democrats, however that dynamic (other than in the Northern Isles) seems to be changing. Here, Juliet Swann looks at the history of Scottish Parliament elections […]