In their assault on quangos, politicians are not being honest about the trade-offs

The ‘land of the free’ has seen a strong whiff of anarchy, autocracy and nationalism enter the White House

MPs’ second jobs have been a major point of political controversy in recent years, with many arguing that lucrative consultancy roles and corporate advisory positions create conflicts of interest and undermine democratic accountability. In 2023 the infamous Owen Paterson lobbying scandal, which exposed how sitting MPs can use their political influence for private financial gain, highlighted the broader problem of second jobs - who benefits from them, and at what cost to public trust?

But beyond the democratic concerns, there is another dimension to this debate: the gender pay disparity in MPs’ secondary income. In 2021, an investigation by Byline Times found that male MPs earned, on average, 63% more than their female colleagues from second jobs. The disparity has only widened since. In 2024, the 15 highest earners from external roles were all men, and of all MPs earning over £10,000 annually from secondary income, 74% were male.

In the past six months, the topic of UK constitutional reform has become more prominent than ever. Why? The turbulent tenure of President Donald Trump in the US has shone a spotlight on the shortcomings of constitutional checks and balances. A worrying trend has emerged, marking a decline in respect for the constitutional principles that had once been considered sacrosanct in the American political system.

Similarly, the UK - whilst not facing the same degree of constitutional erosion - has also experienced worrying signs of democratic backsliding. The traditional reliance on conventions and unwritten rules has exposed cracks in our constitutional set-up.

2021 was the beginning of the end of Boris Johnson and the start of Keir Starmer’s march to power. But for much of 2021, things looked very different, with the Conservatives holding a 10-point lead with YouGov as late as mid October. What changed all this?

Donald Trump has only been back in the White House for seven weeks, but he has already dealt a succession of severe blows to US democracy. 

As a sixteen-year-old, I am becoming more aware of how I am affected directly by decisions made by the government, alongside those made by voters, whose choices affect me and my peers.

The United States of America prides itself on its constitution and democratic traditions. Just a month into President Trump’s second term, it’s clear that these are going to be tested in a way they’ve never been in more than 200 years. 

For many people, the 2025 Council Elections will be the first opportunity in four years to have their say on their local councillor and on who’s been running their Council.

Georgia is one of the starkest examples of how foreign interference can destabilise democracy, but democracy in the UK is not immune from this risk.

The long awaited English Devolution White Paper landed in December. It details the government’s plans to significantly reshape local government across the country.

Elon Musk is not the problem. At least, to be more precise, when it comes to political donations, Musk is not the problem. The problem is the framework of law that would allow any foreign citizen living abroad to make a multi-million pound donation, via a UK company, to a UK political party.

As I turned 16 and started sixth form, politics became the most common topic amongst my peers. Conversations went from makeup brands and TV shows to UK politics and electoral systems around the world.

The practice of dual mandates, or double jobbing, has been a minor but persistent problem since the establishment of devolved parliaments and assemblies at the end of the 1990s.

The world’s richest man is threatening to donate £79million to Reform UK. 

There is no limit on political donations in our country. If someone wants to buy into UK politics in a big way, there’s nothing to stop them.

Our home, mine and my family's, is in London’s suburbs. We get to vote at multiple levels. We get to choose 3 elected members - Councillors - in our ward once every 4 years.

We hosted a webinar with Jennifer Nadel, co-founder and director of Compassion in Politics. Compassion in Politics is an organisation dedicated to creating a political system for the UK that is guided by empathy, fairness, and integrity.

For young people’s voices to be heard by politicians, we need a stronger presence in Parliament. Unlock Democracy Council Members Chanté O'Shaughnessy and Luke Williams make the case for youth representation.

At this summer’s general election, only just over half of the votes of all registered postal voters living overseas were counted. Many were denied that right. But as a new report demonstrates, solutions are at hand.

Proportional Representation (PR) for the House of Commons has been a thorny issue in UK politics for over a century. It has had its supporters, detractors and those who have flip-flopped on the issue. These groups naturally included political parties and their leaders.