Elections and electoral systems
Heavy duty: what are the shortcomings of the BBC’s reporting of the EU?
With so much British media coverage of the EU biased, if not actively hostile, the BBC has a heavy responsibility to ensure voters have enough knowledge to make an informed decision on 23 June. Mike Berry analysed BBC reporting of the Lisbon Treaty and EU budget and found it focussed unduly on infighting between Labour and Conservative politicians. […]
To appreciate the importance of the Brexit referendum, we must consider the series of constitutional issues that it raises
The Brexit referendum, set to take place in June, has created open divisions in the Conservative Party, with many questioning the sustainability of two warring tribes within the same one-party government. Here, Andrew Blick argues that in order to understand the constitutional significance of the referendum, we must move beyond the politics of the situation, and […]
Incumbency advantage is not restricted to established majoritarian systems
To date, most scholarly works have focused on incumbency advantage in the US and consider how it operates in majoritarian contexts. In a recent paper, Mert Moral, H. Ege Ozen and Efe Tokdemir drew on the case of Turkey to explore whether the incumbency operates in multi member district systems. They found that although it […]
The UK’s new electoral map means fewer votes, many changed constituencies – and perhaps enhanced Conservative prospects for 2020
The boundary review process began last week following the publication of the electorate figures that the Boundary Commissions will use. Ron Johnston digests the numbers and looks ahead to the likely outcomes of the review. He suggests that, barring very large alterations in the patterns of party support, it is likely to enhance Conservative prospects […]
Citizen assessment of the political system is fostered by rational considerations rather than virtuousness
Scholars have often assumed that citizens value fairness with respect to the inclusion and representation of different groups in the electoral process, and therefore are likely to favour proportional over majoritarian systems. However, in a recent study Benjamin Ferland found that citizens actually prefer their party to be advantaged at the expense of others, indicating […]
Debates around the relationship between senior civil servants and ministers are likely to evolve rather than settle
Sir Jeremy Heywood’s guidance to civil servants working for Brexit ministers, indicating that they cannot provide advice and support that could be used to campaign against the government’s agreed position, has been met with fury from the Vote Leave camp. Nick Pearce writes that the issue of the relationship between senior civil servants and Ministers is unlikely […]
Learning the lessons: What other referendums can teach us about the EU vote
While we’re nowhere near Switzerland or California in constantly using referendums, the UK is becoming accustomed to big constitutional votes. Katie Ghose discusses what the AV and Scottish referendums tell us about the likely shape of the EU debate. Similar PostsHow the major parties will face the EU referendumWe need a root and branch review of […]
A British exit would harm the EU’s global credibility – and it could rip apart the Conservatives too
A British exit would have a devastating impact on the European Union and relegate it to a second-rank world power in the eyes of the global community. John Ryan argues that the Union would see its diplomatic power greatly diminished, and that domestically a Brexit would also further divide the Conservative party. Similar PostsCan Scotland avoid Brexit? It depends on politics, not […]
Gender quotas do not pose a threat to “merit” at any stage of the political process
The UK Labour Party has long utilised All-Women candidate shortlists in an aim to ensure that female representation in the House of Commons increases. This has always been controversial, however it has been responsible for a noted increase in the number of female MPs in general and female Labour MPs in particular. Here, Mary Nugent […]
An open letter to the Government: The UK is facing a silent democratic crisis
The UK is facing a “silent, growing crisis in our democracy” with millions of people missing from the electoral register, David Cameron has been warned, in a letter from more than 50 politicians, academics and campaigners this week. Below is the full open letter that was sent to the Prime Minster and published in The […]
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