Informing and engaging citizens
MPs pay has risen sharply since the 1970s – but it is outside earnings that should really concern us
There is a long tradition of elected representatives in the UK drawing income from activities ‘external’ to their work in parliament. In part, this tradition reflects the belated acceptance of a need to pay MPs a full salary. In the 2012 Audit of UK democracy, Stuart Wilks-Heeg, Andrew Blick and Stephen Crone looked at the […]
Female politicians receive less attention in the press now than they did 20 years ago
Despite the rise in the number of female MPs and victories of feminism over the last twenty years, there has been no corresponding increase in the amount of press attention they are afforded. Indeed, women are still less likely to be taken seriously in the press, with men continuing to be portrayed as more serious […]
Tomorrow’s party: a bold new approach and meaningful engagement are required
Political parties are an indispensable part of any functioning democracy, essential for aggregating political demands and educating voters about policies. But the public have seldom thought less of them, with a majority of voters considering them corrupt. The Electoral Reform Society have recognised this, and launched a new project to look at what the party of the […]
The recent history of accountability in the English state school system has been one of struggle over meaning and participation
Recent years have seen significant changes in the realm of school accountability. Responding to earlier debate on Democratic Audit, Andrew Wilkins discusses the profound ideological struggles at the heart of reforms. The professionalization of school governance that comes with greater autonomy present a challenge to traditional forms of accountability and may affect engagement with important local […]
Should Police and Crime Commissioners be abolished? The Commissioners respond
This week the report of the Independent Police Commission, led by the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Stevens and commissioned by the Labour Party, was published. One of its key proposals was for the abolition of the post of Police and Crime Commissioner, introduced in 2012 to establish a new form of democratic oversight of […]
Towards a 21st Century Parliament
The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, recently spoke at the Hansard Society on the state of British democracy, and announced the creation of a Speakers Commission on digital democracy, and how to bring about what he terms ‘Parliament 2.0’. The commission will last a year, and will report in 2015, just […]
If Parliament wants to be trusted, it must trust the people
Parliamentary and constitutional reform remains the main focus of most efforts to improve government and make our democracy fit for the 21st Century. But while these efforts are important and have made a positive difference in the past, they are not on their own sufficient. To become a truly representative and relevant institution, Parliament must engage directly […]
Democratic round-up: the Scottish independence White Paper
Yesterday, the Scottish Government published their 670-page White Paper on Scottish Independence. Democratic Audit’s Sean Kippin takes a look at the best comment, coverage, and reaction to the publication of the document, which has predictably inflamed tempers and attracted criticism from pro-union commentators and politicians on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall. Similar PostsIn order to sustain itself, the UK […]
The idea for a new National Liberal Party doesn’t add up
The Conservative MP Nick Boles has called for the establishment of a new National Liberal Party to field candidates jointly with his party. The idea is that the label could prove capable of drawing in a wider range of voters than the Conservative Party can currently attract. However Alun Wyburn-Powell argues that Boles’ idea might […]
All political parties, but particularly Labour, should embrace the cause of republicanism
The Royal Family, we are frequently told, stand above party politics and remain neutral on the big issues of the day. But this seemingly benign state of affairs masks a system in which the unelected head of state has a right and a duty to be consulted on important policy areas. Ken Ritchie argues that the […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.