Blog

Lucy Gilchrist - 26 March 2013 - Constitution & Democracy

Lucy Gilchrist is Chairman of The London Scottish Conservative Club. Now the date has been set, perhaps political minds could focus on the issue of the franchise for the Scottish independence referendum. For scant attention has been paid to the proposed usage of the electoral register for local government granting EU citizens who reside in ...

Lewis Brown - 29 January 2013 - Constitution & Democracy

Writing for the LibDemVoice website, Lewis Brown examines why the LibDems should welcome Andrew Tyrie and Anthony Peto's report 'Neither Just nor Secure'. In September 2012, the Liberal Democrat Conference voted overwhelmingly against the most contentious aspect of the government’s Justice and Security Bill - the extension of ‘secret courts’, otherwise ...

Ryan Bourne - 29 November 2012 - Constitution & Democracy

One of the common devices used to shut down modern political debate is to defer to the experts. ‘Experts’ say we should eat less salt. So government should act to regulate salt content in food. ‘Experts’ say we are drinking too much. So government should impose a minimum alcohol price. ...

Matt Qvortrup - 17 October 2012 - Constitution & Democracy

Referendums expert Matt Qvortrup of Cranfield University looks at the agreement for a Scottish independence referendum and questions which side has secured the advantage. All might be fair in love and war, but the same is not true in referendums. And the referendum in Scotland will be fought as much in ...

Kieron O'Hara - 10 April 2012 - Constitution & Democracy

Kieron O'Hara blogs on the aftermath of the government's proposal and subsequent backing-off of New Labour-style security database measures. During the Easter holiday, the dust has sort of settled after the argument about civil liberties versus security, particularly with respect to monitoring the Internet for communications – now ‘draft legislation’ as ...

Lewis Brown - 27 March 2012 - Constitution & Democracy

With the latest party funding scandals having been predicted by Sir Christopher Kelly just a few months ago, many are calling for Kelly’s report with the Committee for Public Standards to be implemented in full, including a £10k cap on individual donations and state funding to the tune of £3 ...

Matt Qvortrup - 07 March 2012 - Constitution & Democracy

It is 100 and-a-bit years after Lloyd George and Asquith curtailed the powers of the House of Lords. Back then the powers of the peers were reduced to a delaying power. Now - after several attempts by the previous government - the Coalition is trying to reform the Lords by ...

Matt Qvortrup - 20 January 2012 - Constitution & Democracy

With the possibility of an in-out-devo max ballot on Scottish independence being discussed, CPS Research Fellow and expert on referendums Matt Qvortrup looks closer at multi-option referendums. Multi option referendums have often been discussed in relation to referendums on ethnic and national issues. There have been relatively high profile referendums with ...

Kieron O'Hara - 05 December 2011 - Constitution & Democracy

The Coalition government’s drive toward open data and transparency has been one of its most conspicuous successes. We have seen greater accountability (thanks, for example, to publication of public spending over £25,000 and detailed local government spending), and enhancement of citizens’ understanding of their own communities (see for example the ...

Kieron O'Hara - 22 November 2011 - Constitution & Democracy

Kieron O’Hara is a senior research fellow in Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, and has a DPhil in philosophy from the University of Oxford. His latest book, 'Conservatism', was published in May 2011 by Reaktion Books.There is a fine view of St Paul’s from the 4^th level ...

Administrator CPS - 25 October 2011 - Constitution & Democracy

Professor Philip Cowley and Mark Stuart, of the University of Nottingham, guest blog and put last night’s rebellion in a historic context.  Oh happy days. Just when we think we’re getting a bit tired of doing this rebellions lark, along comes something like Monday’s Euro rebellion.  We knew it would be ...

Lewis Brown - 25 October 2011 - Constitution & Democracy

Lewis James Brown (@LewisCPS), Web 2.0 Manager of the Centre for Policy Studies, blogs on the impact of yesterday's vote, and the perception it creates, on the electorate.Today we cross-posted an excellent article from Professor Philip Cowley and Mark Stuart on 10 points of note from yesterday’s ‘rebellion’ of Conservative MPs over ...

Administrator CPS - 08 July 2011 - Constitution & Democracy

Our intern, Tom Waters, signs off his time with the CPS by explaining why Hugh Grant is wrong to call for more press regulationLast night, Question Time saw 55 minutes of its one hour schedule taken up by a single issue: the News of the World. The panel ...

Administrator CPS - 07 July 2011 - Constitution & Democracy

Our intern Tom Waters dicusses the News of the World phone-hacking scandal The phone hacking case of Milly Dowler has added a whole new dimension to the long-running saga. There is no doubt that the scrutiny now afforded to the issue will result in hourly new cases and ...

Kieron O'Hara - 13 May 2011 - Constitution & Democracy

Quite rightly, the British people overwhelmingly rejected AV last week as a method for electing their MPs. To misquote Nick Clegg, it would have been a baby step in the wrong direction. But PR should be used for a reformed House of Lords.The referendum campaigns on both sides ...