How important are wider economic conditions in determining election turnout in advanced industrial democracies? Troy Cruickshank argues that there is a strong link between the two, and that increased voter optimism about a country’s economic performance may be a key factor in determining who opts to turn out on election day.
Can changes in voting behaviour can be explained by the prevailing […]
UKIP’s rise has caught the establishment by surprise, with the main parties doing all they can to prevent the further rise of the right-wing populist party. However their success is likely to be limited by the difficulty that new parties have in breaking into a House of Commons distinguished by its continuing use of First Past the Post and […]
People in Britain today feel both powerless and isolated when it comes to political decision making in Westminster – none more so than Britain’s white working class population who feel less confident in their ability to influence the political process than others. But these are concerns shared by a broad cross-section of society. Low levels of political trust in […]
With the Labour party conference just ending in the shadow of the wide-ranging implications of Scotland’s independence referendum and the increasing progress of UKIP in England, Karin Christiansen, General Secretary of the Co-operative Party, looks at the politics of powerlessness at a state and individual level, and analyses Labour’s response.
Events in Scotland, the rise of UKIP and global challenges demonstrate the need to change how […]
With the rise of UKIP rightly garnering much attention, it is perhaps understandable that another small party who have seen their poll rating grow have been the subject of less press coverage and discussion. Here, Ian Warren (aka @election_data) shows that the Greens are performing strongly amongst certain demographics, and may well have an impact on the 2015 General Election.
There has been […]
The Scottish independence referendum is now coming into clear sight, with only a month or so to go before polling day. Here, Emran Mian argues that a ‘No’ vote, which looks increasingly likely, would not necessarily represent a final victory over Scottish nationalism. Instead, much would still be up for debate, and the prospect of Alex Salmond having the last laugh is […]
House of Lords reform was scuppered in 2011 when the Conservatives opted not to back the Liberal Democrats’ plan in sufficient numbers. With David Cameron recently opting to appoint a new tranche of Lords and bringing the total size of the chamber to the highest level since 1999, talk of reform has returned. Stephen Barber argues that despite some welcome steps […]
The recent assertion that current anti-terror laws are inadequate in providing the State an avenue for the prosecution of those who travel to Syria and Iraq to fight with the terror group ISIS is simply incorrect. This call has merely served to create a panicked parliamentary and media response. Simon Hale-Ross suggests that further anti-terrorism legislation is not required with this […]
Governing as a permanent form of campaigning: why the civil service is in mortal danger
The polarisation of party supporters since 2015 and the problem of the ’empty centre’ – in maps
A national unity government led by backbenchers to block no-deal Brexit is a dangerous idea
Exploitable loopholes: how the self-employed non-resident status can be a route to child maintenance evasion
Brexit and parliamentary legitimation: beyond constitutional minutiae
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