Gordon Brown introduced the Cabinet Manual in 2011 in advance of what looked set to be a coalition or minority government in order to clarify the operation of government at a time when conventions and unwritten rules looked to be insufficient. The Cabinet Secretary at the time, Gus O’Donnell, who drew the document up, took […]
Most agree the BBC Trust is a busted flush, but that leaves a dilemma of finding a model of governance which provides the best guarantee for the BBC’s independence. Howard Davies writes there are two important issues to be resolved: one of process, making sure that any government decision is submitted to proper scrutiny; the other […]
Established political parties across the democratised world are struggling to regain their previous levels of popularity, with scandal, voter fatigue, and an inability to tackle the issues that motivate voters proving a toxic combination for both parties and the political systems they operate within. But when parties are seen to be behaving well in government, […]
There is a lively debate in Scotland over the extent of the Scottish government’s new powers over welfare, with the Scotland Bill in Westminster being strengthened by Government amendments. Gavin Kelly discusses the political implications of the move, and describes the new arrangement as representing ‘defensive devolution’. Similar PostsDoes Nicola Sturgeon’s refusal to increase the […]
The Women’s Equality Party was founded earlier this year with the aim of promoting gender equality for the benefit of all. But what are its long term political prospects, and what hopes does it have of influencing those parties more likely to hold office? Kimberley Cowell-Meyers argues that while it may struggle to make an impact […]
Simon Burall of Involve, a think tank specialising in democracy and public engagement, recently authored a new report entitled ‘Room for a View’, which focusses on the idea of UK democracy as a deliberative process. Here, Ed Hammond from the Centre for Public Scrutiny and Temi Ogunye of Citizens Advice respond to the piece. Similar […]
Oliver D. Meza argues that greater attention needs to be given to existing institutional frameworks when planning reforms. Using Mexico as a case study, he highlights how attempts to improve local democracy through electoral reform have failed because the old institutional hierarchies have not been taken into account. Although well-meaning, the reforms have made decision-making costlier, less expeditious […]
Have you ever voted for another party because you felt that your party had no chance of winning the seat? If yes, then you might be among the 5 to 10 per cent of tactical voters. In this article, Michael Herrmann, Simon Munzert, and Peter Selb explain how, contrary to popular belief, the Liberal Democrats […]
Oliver Escobar writes that despite the increasing emphasis on deliberative democracy, scholars are only just starting to formulate a perspective that accommodates and values various meanings and practices of democracy as part of a coherent deliberative system. He therefore welcomes the systemic approach articulated by Simon Burrall in Involve’s new report ‘Room for a View’ […]
The collection Immigration Detention: The Migration of a Policy and its Human Impact, edited by Amy Nethery and Stephanie J. Silverman, gives an overview of the practice and human impact of detention as an integral part of immigration management and control through a series of country case studies. While Gayle Munro would have welcomed more direct engagement with […]
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