Tag: indyref
Devo-max could complicate David Cameron’s plans to repeal the Human Rights Act
The Conservative Party have recently re-committed to repealing the Human Rights Act (HRA) and replacing it with a ‘home grown’ British Bill of Rights. Meanwhile, discussion of what level of devolution will be afforded to Scotland in the wake of the ‘No’ vote in their independence referendum has been raging on. Here, Aileen McHargh argues […]
20 things we learned about democracy in September 2014
September 2014 was a big month for democracy, with party conferences and of course the Scottish independence referendum. Democratic Audit’s Sean Kippin rounds up 20 things that we learned about democracy this month, and talks about the referendum and conferences, but also elections in the House of Lords, human rights, and KFC chicken. Similar PostsThe […]
The English Question comprises two broad questions, with half a dozen different answers
The West Lothian Question has been back on the agenda in recent weeks following the Scottish Independence Referendum, and the promises made by the ‘No’ campaign to ensure a greater degree of self-government for Holyrood and the Prime Minister’s resultant pledge to introduce ‘English Voters for English Laws’. UCL’s Constitution Unit conducted a three-year research project […]
When it comes to a fair constitutional settlement, beware of constitutional hyper-activism
The Flower of Scotland may well be blooming but a number of thorny issues face the Prime Minister and the leaders of the main parties in the UK, writes Matthew Flinders. The Prime Minister’s commitment to a ‘new and fair constitutional settlement’ not just for Scotland but for the whole of the United Kingdom may well reflect […]
Electoral management issues were the dog that didn’t bark in the Scottish night
After a long day, and night, of democracy, Dr. Toby James notes that few problems have been initially reported with the running of the Scottish independence referendum, despite the high turnout. This stands in stark, and indeed welcome, contrast to the 2010 general election. Similar PostsThe Scottish independence referendum shows that young people can be […]
Yes or no, the Scottish Independence Referendum has been good for democracy on both sides of the border
Scotland finally goes to the polls today to decide on its status as either a newly independent nation, or a part of the United Kingdom. The result looks set to be close, but whatever happens, argue Sean Kippin and Carl Cullinane, the referendum has been a remarkable boon for democracy and political engagement on both sides […]
The perception that an independent Scotland would be fairer could prove decisive in the independence referendum
ScotCen Social Research has been tracking attitudes towards the governance of Scotland since 1999, with numerous lessons for both the Yes and No campaigns. Rachel Ormston summarises some of the most important findings of that research, and concludes that the perception of whether independence would mean greater or lesser degree of fairness and equality could […]
Could Scotland buck the trend and vote ‘Yes’?
The polls have been narrowing in Scotland’s independence referendum debate with the vote just over two weeks away. Alan Renwick reflects here on whether the ‘Yes’ campaign really could pull off an unexpected victory. Similar PostsHow to design a constitutional convention for the UKBattle of the mandate: defining the dispute over a new Scottish independence referendumBeyond anecdotes […]
There is much that can be learned from Scotland’s decision to lower the voting age for the Independence referendum
The Electoral Commission this week began a publicity drive to ensure that people register to vote in the referendum. It has launched a dedicated website and is working with Facebook to target potential younger voters including 16 and 17 year olds who will be able to vote for the first time. Andy Mycock looks at the […]
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