The exit poll in 2010 was almost exactly correct, but what is it, and how does it actually work?
At 10pm on election day, the ballots will close, and the counting will begin. It may be many hours before it becomes clear which party has the most seats in the new parliament, and many days until we know which parties will form the next government. However, shortly after the 10 o’clock deadline, broadcasters will release […]
10 key contests to look out for on election night
The General Election is upon us, and voting is under way. The UK isn’t used to consecutive elections where the ultimate result is unclear, and following 2010’s hung parliament, both the Labour and Conservative Parties are hoping to emerge as the largest party. Then the business of attempting to form a government can begin, with smaller parties […]
The constitutional implications of the rise of the SNP
The UK Constitutional Law Association blog has asked constitutional lawyers to review the main party manifestos ahead of the May elections, drawing out key constitutional proposals. Below Aileen McHarg discussed the constitutional implications of the rise of the SNP. Similar PostsAudit 2017: How democratic are the central institutions of devolved government in Scotland?Scottish Parliament Election preview: The […]
First-Past-the-Post means that many constituencies are foregone conclusions, so how much power do voters really have?
Of the many indicators of various kinds hosted on the constituency pages of the Democratic Dashboard , none gets such a reaction as the Voter Power Index. In this article, Carl Cullinane explains how, because of the UK’s First Past The Post electoral system, some voters come to wield far more influence than others. Not […]
Ed Miliband does not need the go-ahead from Nicola Sturgeon to become Prime Minister
Who will be Prime Minister at the end of the 2015 General Election process? David Cameron could be set to remain the Leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, but without an obvious path to a majority. Ed Miliband, meanwhile, can count on the SNP to at least vote against the Tories […]
The First-Past-the-Post electoral system is breaking up the UK
The First Past The Post electoral system exacerbates divisions between the different parts of Britain, adding to pressures that could break the union, with Thursday’s General Election potentially hastening this process. Tim Oliver discusses whether it is too late to change course. Similar PostsEuropean elections 2019: what will happen in Scotland?Nationalist parties face new challenges after the ‘Super […]
Is a British Senate any closer now? Or will the House of Lords still go on and on?
Labour enters the 2015 election pledged to make creating a British Senate a key part of a new Constitutional Convention. The SNP surge in Scotland gives much greater urgency to the idea, since a new upper House could be one of the most important components for re-binding together a fully federal UK. Richard Reid and […]
From Devo-max to West Lothian-Max: The implications of the SNP surge for UK democracy
The changes to Westminster politics in Scotland in 2015 are likely to be without historical precedent. In this post, James Dennison discusses the implications of these changes in the context of the “West Lothian” question. He argues that the election of a large number of SNP MPs is likely to greatly exacerbate tensions that were […]
Interview: Tim Bale on comparisons between Ed Miliband and David Cameron as Leader of the Opposition
Ed Miliband could be about the become the UK’s Prime Minister – equally he could be about to be consigned to history as a footnote, known only an another unsuccessful Leader of the Opposition. Sean Kippin interviewed Professor Tim Bale, author of a book on Ed Miliband’s period as Labour leader, and asked about comparisons […]
Allowing MPs to job share would bring benefit constituents, democracy, and the MPs themselves
Job-sharing has been a reality for some years now, with it being seen as a useful method to allow flexibility – particularly for disabled people, women, and other under-represented groups. However the prospect of it being introduced for Westminster elections seems remote. Emma Rome argues that the powers that be should reconsider, and that there […]
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