Will the cabinet resignations lead to a softer Brexit?
On Friday, after months of prevaricating, May convened a cabinet meeting at Chequers to finally present to ministers a plan that committed to firm positions on some of Brexit’s most…
To object or not to object – that is the question?
Last week saw an interesting display of the use of archaic parliamentary procedures. On Wednesday at Prime Minister’s Questions the SNP cohort of MPs walked out of the House of…
The SNP walkout: what have they gained?
PMQs played host to some rare political theatre yesterday as the SNP’s MPs left the chamber in a ‘spontaneous’ exodus - helpfully trailed in a tweet by Pete Wishart –…
The return of David Miliband?
This week heralds the return to the British political stage of a former Labour Party heavyweight. Once seen as a future leader, perhaps even Prime Minister, a voice of reason…
How influential are Select Committees?
According to the Parliament website, the purpose of a Select Committee is to ‘check and report on areas ranging from the work of government departments to economic affairs. The results…
Is Cambridge Analytica a threat to democracy?
Revelations that campaign consultants Cambridge Analytica obtained data on 50 million Facebook users has generated reams of coverage, much of it sensationally accusing the firm of using that data to…
International Women’s Day
There are three reasons why women should feel a renewed sense of pride, empowerment and determination today. Firstly, the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements have inspired a new generation of…
Peering into the future
The Lord Speaker’s Committee is expected to publish a report later this month calling for a reduced number of peers. Not hugely original as many previous reports and inquiries have…
Finding a mandate for Brexit
For those hoping for a respite from high-stakes democratic exercises until at least 2020, today’s vote for an early election on 8 June will come as a disappointment. However, despite…
Corbyn’s worthless mandate?
The Conservative Party demonstrated their ruthless efficiency in the manner in which they elected a new leader. The EU referendum result was announced on the 24th of June; by the…