Tag: Wales
Public consultations do not currently enable all stakeholders to effectively contribute to the legislative process
In a recent study, Helen Taylor and Axel Kaehne looked at responses to the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill to consider how effective the public consultation process is at incorporating wider expertise into the legislative process. The findings highlighted a number of issues relating to both the nature of responses and the way in […]
2015 was not an ‘internet election’ but both data and social tools did matter
Andy Williamson writes that while the 2015 General Election was not an internet election, it was an election where both data and social tools mattered. He looks back what can be learned from the digital campaigns in 2015 and predicts how these lessons are likely to shape the use of digital ahead of elections taking […]
No more ‘Welsh effect’? Why the EU may be becoming a scapegoat in Wales
It used to be that case that Wales was distinguished by the strength of the Labour vote and the presence of the Welsh nationalist vote. Today, however, the conditions are perfect for Wales to be completely absorbed into the British mainstream, explains Daniel Evans. And this means that chances are high that Wales will vote for a departure […]
As Scotland and Wales demand greater devolution Northern Ireland is handing power back to Westminster
Social security has long occupied an ambiguous place in Northern Ireland’s devolution settlement. Mark Simpson of Ulster University discusses the implications of last month’s decision to temporarily hand legislative competence to Westminster. Similar PostsThe current talks in Northern Ireland exemplify the mistrust that has attended devolution from the outsetThe Northern Ireland Secretary’s suggestion that Stormont’s […]
Politicians are more likely to forward constituent inquiries to the appropriate level if they are of the same party as the recipient
The UK has enjoyed a significant degree of multi-tiered governance since the introduction of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, with recent events suggesting this dynamic will intensify further. Here, Audrey André, Jonathan Bradbury, and Sam Depauw look at constituent correspondence patterns, and find that politicians are much more likely to forward correspondence to the appropriate […]
All of Wales’ main parties have many supporters with views that the party leaderships would find uncomfortable
The rise of anti-immigration parties across Europe has led many to question whether their success has its roots in the prejudice of voters. In Wales, Roger Scully has carried out some research which shows which party supporters are prejudiced against which groups to what extent. Here, he shares his findings. The other day I was […]
The government’s determination to shrink the state may make it more difficult to save the union
On Friday 5 June, the Constitution Unit and the Welsh Governance Centre jointly sponsored a conference of politicians and academics on ‘Devolution and the Future of The Union’ at the British Academy. It followed up a series of separate reports by them and by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and the Institute […]
The Wales Bill could have far reaching consequences for the governance of the whole UK
Amidst the noise of the fallout from the Scottish independence referendum, the issue of what will happen next in Wales has been largely missed. Although independence isn’t on the cards, the forthcoming Wales Bill, if it survives current political wrangling, could have a profound effect on governance of Wales and the whole UK, argues David S. […]
A more systematic approach to relations between the devolved administrations and the UK government is required
Alan Trench calls for a more systematic approach to intergovernmental relations between the devolved and UK governments. He argues that leaving matters to be handled in ad hoc, reactive, unstructured way is no longer an option. Similar PostsWestminster must choose between leaving the EU and retaining the UKWhat party competition in England will look like after […]
The best of Democratic Audit’s 2014 posts on gender and democracy
The Democratic Audit UK blog, since its launch in July 2013, has sought to highlight the issue of gender in politics, with the aim of creating a more equitable balance in terms of gender representation and the UK’s political institutions. The below are eight of the best posts that DA has carried in 2014. Similar […]
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