Tag: Labour
The real reasons referendums have become so common – and so scary
As 23 June nears there has been increasing frustration around the quality of the debate, and the fact that such a complex constitutional issue is being decided by a binary referendum. Harry Farmer considers why referendums are becoming increasingly popular in Western democracies, and why anxieties around votes on single issues reflect deeper worries about […]
Understanding Ed Miliband’s failed attempt to renew social democracy
Despite many seeing Ed Miliband as being responsible for Labour’s 2015 defeat, much more contributed to the party’s failures, explains Eunice Goes. Drawing on her latestbook, she writes that the European context of crisis and austerity created a situation that Labour – together with other European social democratic parties – failed to steer through successfully. […]
If it’s broken, fix it! Time to rethink the AMS electoral system in Wales
Diana Stirbu and Laura McAllister discuss the limitations of the Welsh Additional Member System. They write that it is a mockery to call it a proportional system, and argue that it is in danger of alienating voters. They also indicate that its weaknesses may actually be prohibiting the development of a more mature political system. […]
How the major parties will face the EU referendum
Kenneth Bunker looks at the state of the major parties as they head into the EU referendum campaign, and assesses what different results might mean for each of them. Similar PostsLearning the lessons: What other referendums can teach us about the EU voteEuropean elections 2019: what will happen in England’s South East?European elections 2019: what […]
Nationalist parties face new challenges after the ‘Super Thursday’ elections
The various nationalist parties experienced mixed fortunes in the UK elections on 5 May, and all are now operating in a different political climate. Dr Kenneth Bunker assesses what challenges lie ahead for the different parties. Similar PostsEuropean elections 2019: what will happen in Scotland?European Parliament elections 2019: what will happen in Wales?How the major […]
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: […]
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: The end of Labour’s fortress in Glasgow?
Glasgow, sitting within ‘Red Clydeside’, has long been a Labour citadel, with the party historically weighing rather than counting the vote, such was their dominance. But elections in 2007 and 2010 showed that the City is nowadays willing to look elsewhere politically, with the independence referendum of 2014 accelerating the shift in support from Labour to SNP. […]
Scottish Parliament election preview: the last beats of a Labour ‘heartland’ in Central Scotland?
The Scottish Parliament elections take place early next month, with the SNP expected to solidify their dominance in the post-referendum Scotland. The Central Scotland region has long been a Labour stronghold with the party’s legendary and revered first leader Keir Hardie from the area. Here, Judith Sijstermans previews the contests, and suggests that this election may represent the […]
Scottish Parliament election preview: From four party politics to further consolidation in the South of Scotland?
The Scottish Parliament elections are upon us, with the SNP expected to consolidate their current dominance over Labour and the Conservatives. Here, Alistair Clark looks at the contest in the South Scotland region, an area which has had a recent history of four party politics but may be seeing its political profile shift. Similar PostsEuropean […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.