A fair cop for women? Female Police and Crime Commissioner candidates in less winnable seatsYesterday, the Labour Party became the first party to finalise its candidates for the 41 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to be elected this November. There have been widespread fears that this new role will be heavily...Posted 20 Jun 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
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
Behind the excuses and the finger pointing – the bitter pill of party fundingSo here we are again. Once more the headlines boom with a brand new ‘cash-for influence’ scandal. Peter Cruddas, millionaire and Tory donor come hapless Tory treasurer, has been caught in an old fashioned sting...Posted 26 Mar 2012
Reporting back from Welsh Labour ConferenceBy Owain Llyr ap Gareth, Research and Campaigns Officer, Electoral Reform Society Wales After entering the empty room an hour before the first of our two fringe meetings at the Welsh Labour conference – looking at...Posted 19 Mar 2012
House of Lords reform: Independence, expertise and a strange case of false logicThe argument that independence and expertise exist in abundance amongst our current peers is now being cited as a key reason against reforming the House of Lords. If preserving these features is a core argument against reform,...Posted 15 Mar 2012
No more excuses: Why gender matters in politicsWhat would society be like if four out of five parliamentarians were women? Maybe we’d be failing on men’s health; or the armed forces (as 9 in 10 recruits are still men), or on the...Posted 07 Mar 2012
“Aren’t you a bit small to be our Police and Crime Commissioner?”Jane Basham was the Labour PCC candidate for Suffolk “Nearly toppled the establishment…” …..Is what colleagues have said after my performance in the recent Police and Crime Commissioner elections. I stood as the Labour Party...Posted 22 Nov 2011