Electoral reform for Love Island?What’s not to like about Love Island? A group of good-looking singletons enter a villa in the hopes of finding love, and we the public, get to vote on what goes on. Much like the...Posted 29 Jun 2018
The need to rein in the ‘online wild west’ is now being recognisedFollowing a series of scandals around fake news, foreign interference, and misuse of personal data, the Electoral Commission acknowledged earlier this week that “our democracy may be under threat”. The Commission is calling for urgent...Posted 29 Jun 2018
The campaign for truly local democracy in Scotland is growingLast weekend – a rare sunny Saturday in Glasgow – around 500 people gathered not to drink cocktails in the shade – but to discuss the future of Scottish democracy: a new vision for ‘taking...Posted 26 Jun 2018
Revealed: The Lords is increasingly out of touch with modern BritainTo many of us, the House of Lords looks very much like a private members’ club – a cosy corner of Westminster, where unelected peers vote on our laws. But just how out of touch...Posted 18 Jun 2018
Why are Ministers celebrating citizens losing their right to vote?In a comment piece for The Times this week, Chloe Smith, Minister for the Constitution, made some bold claims about the government’s voter ID trials, which took place in five areas last month. She said the...Posted 08 Jun 2018
Inside the funny world of ‘contempt of Parliament’It’s a commonly established practice that Parliamentary select committees can ask witnesses to attend hearings and answer questions. This frequently happens during inquiries – like the culture committee’s current investigation into the role of fake...Posted 08 Jun 2018
Finally, some action to reign in the ‘online wild west’ – but there’s much more to be doneThe Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has announced a crackdown on the online political advertising industry following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Speaking at a hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home...Posted 06 Jun 2018
Voters want to tackle Britain’s real democratic problems – not impose voter IDDespite the fact that last month’s Voter ID trials disenfranchised (at least) hundreds of people, the government seems to be set on making it national policy. Why? Ostensibly, the government says it is about tackling...Posted 06 Jun 2018
There’s a sham election happening in Parliament. Here’s what you need to knowThe idea that people can become lawmakers for life – simply because they were born into the ‘right’ family – is, to most of us, absurd. Yet in the UK, in 2018, this is the...Posted 04 Jun 2018
The government are using dirty tricks to cut our elected MPsIn the committee room corridors at the Palace of Westminster, the government’s conduct around the ongoing review of constituency boundaries is drawing cross-party criticism. The government’s official response to Parliament’s concerns fails to address any...Posted 01 Jun 2018