Andy Burnham’s identified the right problem – but his solution falls shortTry as the political class might, calls to reform the House of Lords always come to the fore. So it’s no surprise that the issue has been on the agenda again for the past week....Posted 10 Aug 2015
The House of Lords Needs a Major Overhaul, Not Tinkering Around the EdgesCalls for reform of the House of Lords have been heard even more loudly that normal in the last ten days and the reason is fairly obvious. The current set-up comes nowhere close to being...Posted 04 Aug 2015
Our unelected House of Lords is in dire need of a clear-outAnother month, another political controversy. In the Lords however – unlike our elected Commons – there’s no way for the public to hold Peers to account at the ballot box. Instead, you have to hope that...Posted 30 Jul 2015
Why calls for Liz Kendall to drop out are nonsenseThe rise of Jeremy Corbyn has, it goes without saying, completely shifted the terms and nature of the Labour leadership debate. The panic in much of the Labour Party elite is palpable – whether it...Posted 24 Jul 2015
Devolution needs democracy – politicians should back fair votes for local governmentTomorrow the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill has its Third Reading in the House of Lords – the final stage before it goes back to the Commons. It’s a Bill that will have a...Posted 20 Jul 2015
Young people in Wales back votes at 16 – and political educationAs the Welsh Assembly publish their major report on votes at 16 today, the young people of Wales have spoken. And it is a clear message – young people want a vote. With 10,375 young people...Posted 15 Jul 2015
Time for a constitutional convention for the EUThe standoff between the European Union, the European Central Bank (ECB), and Greece is a crisis born at least partly from a problem with democracy. In the EU as at any other level we hope...Posted 10 Jul 2015
A Democratic Northern PowerhouseThe Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, currently making its way through the House of Lords, is the flagship legislation that is to allow the Northern Powerhouse to become a reality. It contains the government...Posted 09 Jul 2015
A new Borgen-ing? Proportional representation and the Danish electionYesterday saw Danes go to the polls. Popularised by the TV show Borgen, Danish politics is fascinating in all sorts of ways, but most of all, we can learn much from its model of democracy....Posted 19 Jun 2015
Don’t let fewer Welsh County Councils mean less democracy for WalesToday, Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews announces the new proposed map for Local Authorities in Wales, with plans to reduce the number of County Councils from 22 to 8 or 9. This follows the recent...Posted 17 Jun 2015