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How is local government organised in England?

England’s local government can sometimes be quite confusing. The history of devolution within England is one of ad hoc, piecemeal, top-down reforms united in their lack of a clear vision. This has left different areas...

Posted 16 Mar 2022

A product of a history of ad hoc piecemeal top-down reforms

Welsh Labour conference vote is a big boost to campaign for Senedd reform

With just 60 elected members, Wales’ Parliament has long been under-resourced. But that problem has grown as Wales acquired more responsibilities – without the representatives needed to properly scrutinise legislation. For as long as there...

Posted 16 Mar 2022

These reforms are vital for delivering better public services for Wales

Why the Senedd needs more members

Posted 13 Mar 2022

Investing in scrutiny will ensure that the Senedd better delivers for Wales

For local democracy to flourish our representatives need the power to deliver

New ERS research finds over two-thirds of councillors feel they lack the powers to represent the needs of their local community. Local government is at the front line of our democracy. It’s the closest level...

Posted 10 Mar 2022

Over 2_3rds of councillors feel they lack the powers to represent the needs of their local community

Poll finds growing support for properly equipped Senedd

Last week a new poll for the Western Mail, carried out by Beaufort Research, found that support for more members of the Senedd is on the up. Almost half (48%) of those polled said they...

Posted 09 Mar 2022

Fewer than a third disagree with a 90 member Senedd

Duvager’s law – more guidelines than actual rules?

Wherever there are two dominant political parties, there is a steady stream of new parties hoping to break the system. Britain has had several over the years and America’s latest is the Forward Party of...

Posted 09 Mar 2022

Duverger’s Law is one of the oldest so-called ‘laws’ in political science

Democracy Made in England: Where Next for English Local Government?

In the context of the changing nature of UK governance, England remains an anomaly. While the centres of power in the rest of the UK have shifted away from Westminster over the last two decades,...

Posted 09 Mar 2022

IWD: Why proportional representation can be a driving force for political equality

A driving force for most people who believe in electoral reform is the belief that seats should match votes and that the broad and diverse communities that make up the United Kingdom should have their...

Posted 08 Mar 2022

Should I rank all the candidates in the Scottish council elections?

On Thursday 5 May, 2022, voters will go to the polls to elect councillors for each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. This will be the fourth time that Scottish councils will be elected using a proportional system,...

Posted 25 Feb 2022

Here’s how to maximise your impact on Scotland’s local elections

The Elections Bill could open the floodgates on party funding

We’ve spoken a lot about the danger of the Elections Bill, which returned to the House of Lords today. From wasting £180 million a year on an intrusive ID card scheme for voting, to hobbling...

Posted 23 Feb 2022