The 2015 general election – A system in crisisIt’s official: this election was the most disproportionate in UK history. We’ve just released our new report on the May 7th General Election, A Voting System in Crisis. And it makes for worrying reading for fans of...Posted 01 Jun 2015
Election Cancelled – The Curse of Uncontested SeatsThere has been a shocking increase in the number of uncontested seats in some English councils up for election this May. The Eden District Council in Cumbria has already declared 21 of its 38 available...Posted 01 May 2015
Taking your time forming a governmentSome things can be done in a hurry, but forming a Government certainly shouldn’t be one of them. In our recent report, Working Together, we set out the guidelines for forming power-sharing arrangements based on...Posted 20 Apr 2015
How popular is power-sharing?Yesterday the views of Brits were unveiled to the world. And in some ways, they make for some startling reading. The British Social Attitudes Survey – a renowned national study of voters’ opinions – was...Posted 30 Mar 2015
End the patronageEarlier this week the UCL’s Constitution Unit released a new report titled Enough is Enough, outlining the ludicrous situation of Lords appointments. The House of Lords is now the second largest chamber on the planet, only...Posted 12 Feb 2015
Permission to share power?When it comes to forming a coalition, is it better to get your party on side before committing, or to take the plunge without consultation? The Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps has recently said that...Posted 19 Jan 2015
Reckless choices?After Clacton, comes Rochester and Strood. At the start of the campaign, the Conservatives felt they stood a good chance of winning this second by-election caused by a Conservative MP defecting to UKIP. In comparison...Posted 21 Nov 2014
Cheryl Gillan on women in politicsThis is a guest post by Cheryl Gillan, Conservative MP for Chesham and Amersham and former Secretary of State for Wales. The views, opinions and positions expressed within are those of the author alone and...Posted 29 Sep 2014
Something in the airScotland is shrouded in a muggy haar today, and it feels as if we’ve been cut off from the rest of the world in order to concentrate and exercise our democratic right to vote: for...Posted 18 Sep 2014
The government is still dominated by menAs the dust settles on the Government reshuffle, you would be forgiven for thinking that the genders are now fairly represented on the front benches. Nothing could be further from the truth. Despite this week’s high-profile...Posted 17 Jul 2014