Seven things you need to know about the local electionsBlink and you’ll miss the coverage, but local elections are happening on Thursday 3 May in England. A lot has changed since these seats were last contested, in 2014. We had the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government,...Posted 16 Apr 2018
Four reasons why trade unionists are backing a shake-up of Westminster’s political systemToday is an important milestone in the broad campaign for political reform: the movement has won fresh civil society support. A new report from campaigners ‘Politics For The Many’ is calling for a shift in the...Posted 16 Apr 2018
The birth of Hungary’s Franken-voting systemThe three-time two-thirds majority winning political party Fidesz has been able to reshape Hungary’s political institutions because of the 2010 election, in which it won 53% of the vote, and won its first two-thirds majority....Posted 13 Apr 2018
Just how popular is Hungary’s Fidesz?Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party has dominated Hungarian politics since 2010. On Sunday, its dominance was confirmed, as it won its third two-thirds majority in a row, winning 134 of 199 seats. In most European countries,...Posted 12 Apr 2018
Don’t miss the deadline – make sure you’re registered to voteIn May 2018, there will be elections for all 32 London boroughs, 35 metropolitan boroughs, 74 district/boroughs, and 20 unitary authorities around England. But thousands of people aren’t on the register and won’t be able...Posted 10 Apr 2018
One simple change could take us much closer to gender equality in politicsThere can be no doubt that in order to see more women elected to our political institutions, political parties need to stand more women candidates. Yet there is no official information on the diversity of...Posted 04 Apr 2018
A handful of hereditary peers are trying to stifle reform – they are on the wrong side of historyWestminster is packed full of peculiar traditions from the Commons’ door being slammed in Black Rod’s face to the ban on MPs clapping. While many of them are relatively harmless, there are others which are...Posted 03 Apr 2018
Three reasons there needs to be a crackdown on the ‘online wild west’The Cambridge Analytica scandal has rightly shocked people all over the world. The possibility that our personal information may have been ‘harvested’ for political gain, entirely without our knowledge, has made us fearful. As is...Posted 23 Mar 2018
Five ways we can revive our elections in ScotlandThere is much to admire about the way elections are held in Scotland. Generally speaking, they are transparent, accessible, and ensure seats match how people actually vote at the ballot box. But that isn’t to...Posted 22 Mar 2018
What Cambridge Analytica tells us about our out-dated campaign lawsOnline campaigning is the 21st century’s wild west – and the Cambridge Analytica saga is a very stark reminder that we have to conquer the new terrain. The main legislation regulating political parties’ campaigning...Posted 22 Mar 2018