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
Why Ruth Davidson supports votes at 16The following is republished with the kind permission of Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. It is one part of Giving 16 and 17 Year Olds the Vote – The Tory Case, a publication from the Tory...Posted 24 Jun 2015
With Proportional Representation small parties get the influence they deserveFor those used to one party getting a majority of the seats (without a majority of votes) the idea that a smaller parties often get to be in government under PR can be confusing. Of...Posted 23 Jun 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
Scotland leads the way on votes at 16Yesterday, two very different things happened around the same issue in Scotland and England. At 4:22pm in Westminster, during a debate on the EU Referendum Bill, MPs voted 310-265 against giving 16 and 17 year...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
Implementing the Donaldson Review in WalesFollowing the announcement by Education minister Huw Lewis that the Donaldson Review would be implemented in full, our education adviser Rhodri Griffiths examines the Donaldson Review on Education in Wales and asks: ‘how can young people become informed...Posted 16 Jun 2015
Magna Carta and the case for a Constitutional ConventionThe fractious reality of Britain’s contemporary political scene demands that a new approach be taken to constitutional issues. The myriad debates over the nature and extent of devolution, Britain’s relationship with the European Union, the...Posted 15 Jun 2015
What is the Scotland Bill?The Scotland Bill was no surprise when it was announced in the Queens Speech. In the lead up to the Scottish independence referendum vote last September and following a particular cliff-edge poll, unionist parties became very...Posted 12 Jun 2015
Crossing the threshold – the Turkish electionThere was a fair deal of shock in Turkey last weekend as the Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost its parliamentary majority, which it has enjoyed since 2002. The AKP’s dominance has been legendary since...Posted 11 Jun 2015