Electoral Reform for Eurovision?Eurovision is upon us once again with everyone’s favourite celebration of Europe’s questionable musical talent. Certain traditions will no doubt hold: certain acts will be flamboyantly silly, Britain will score badly and after it is...Posted 24 May 2012
Voter registration: lessons from the USBy Dr Toby S James, Swansea University In the 1980s American academics Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward, alongside the organisation Human SERVE, campaigned to make voting and registering to vote easier for citizens. At...Posted 21 May 2012
An important victory for voters, but no time for complacencyIn the wake of the pomp and pageantry of the Queen’s speech last week, a victory for the voter emerged from the Cabinet Office in the form of the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill. Last...Posted 16 May 2012
England let down by elections as Scotland leads the waySince Thursday’s local elections we’ve been crunching the numbers. Did voters get a fair deal? What has breaking from First Past the Post meant for Scotland? Well what we’re seeing is a widening gulf between local democracy...Posted 09 May 2012
Women’s legislative recruitment: no simple explanation, no single panaceaRosie Campbell, Birkbeck University London & Sarah Childs, University of Bristol It is a widely held view that the first-past-the-post electoral system disadvantages women and that electoral reform would improve the representation of women in the UK...Posted 08 May 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
A little reminder to MPs on Lords Reform…We hear news that rebels are preparing to topple the coming Lords Reform Bill. One PPS is quoted in today’s Guardian saying: We will resign to vote against the programme motion. We want to ensure that...Posted 29 Apr 2012
Examining the case for directly elected mayorsDoes Bristol, Birmingham or Bradford want a Boris? We find out next Thursday when these and seven other English cities give voters a choice as to whether to adopt the directly elected mayor model. Yet...Posted 26 Apr 2012
140,000 reasons for reform:Next week voters across 21 of Wales’ 22 unitary authorities will head to the polls to decide the political make-up of their local councils. Voters will express a view on where they want to see...Posted 26 Apr 2012
Bargaining on equality: a challenge to the trade unions?“If we want to see women in positions of power in society – how do we achieve it?” This was the challenge we set for the audience at the Unions21 debate: Women, Power and Trade Unions....Posted 04 Apr 2012