A bad week for womenWhat a dispiriting week for women. Following Maria Miller’s resignation, just three out of 22 Cabinet ministers are females – putting the UK government at a 15-year low and near rock bottom in comparison with...Posted 11 Apr 2014
Just three out of 22 Cabinet ministers are femalesWhat a dispiriting week for women. Following Maria Miller’s resignation, just three out of 22 Cabinet ministers are females – putting the UK government at a 15-year low and near rock bottom in comparison with...Posted 11 Apr 2014
Only one in five ministers are femaleIn 2009, David Cameron pledged that a third of his ministers would be women. But even today, after a reshuffle which has increased the number of women in government by three, still only one in five ministers...Posted 08 Oct 2013
Four good reasons to oppose recallGovernments rarely receive praise for inaction – but that is precisely the right move on recall. In today’s Queen’s Speech there was no reference to the pledge to legislate for recall. This is a system...Posted 08 May 2013
A vote that could have changed BritainA vote has just taken place that could have changed British Democracy forever. And it didn’t take place in Westminster but over in Strasburg – as the European Court of Human Rights upheld the ban...Posted 22 Apr 2013
A weekend with the ERS and Unlock Democracy grassrootsDavid Cameron’s recent failure to secure far-reaching boundary changes in time for the 2015 General Election was another nail in the coffin of the Westminster government’s constitutional and political reform agenda. Many changes have been...Posted 11 Feb 2013
50 days and counting to the election no one’s heard of…It’s 50 days and counting to the election no one’s heard of… We have been joined by candidates from across the political divide to call on Theresa May to tackle the rock bottom turnout predicted for...Posted 26 Sep 2012
Lords Reform: A failure for Britain’s political classAnd so it’s come to pass. After all the gossip the government has finally withdrawn the House of Lords Reform bill. This isn’t about the failure of one party, one government or one bill, but of...Posted 06 Aug 2012
Asking a different question on the anniversary of AVA year ago the Yes campaign was soundly defeated in the AV referendum. Bad timing, an imperfect alternative and an opposition willing to fight dirty all worked in favour of First Past the Post, and...Posted 06 May 2012
No more excuses: Why gender matters in politicsWhat would society be like if four out of five parliamentarians were women? Maybe we’d be failing on men’s health; or the armed forces (as 9 in 10 recruits are still men), or on the...Posted 07 Mar 2012