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Labour’s election reforms represent real progress - but there’s significant work still to do
The government’s new elections strategy is a welcome step in the right direction – modernisation that’s long overdue. Not the full answer, but progress.
The Hereditary Peers Bill: A missed opportunity
Nothing sums up how broken our political system is quite like the House of Lords.
Citizen participation essential to create a strong democracy
It is well understood that the political legitimacy of democratic governments depends partly on levels of participation measured by levels of voter turnout at elections, but not entirely.
Protest in the UK - protected or restricted?
Protests have always played a vital role in democracy and have led to monumental change in the UK and abroad. Whether it be the Chartist marches, women’s suffrage protests or fox-hunting protests.
Voting shouldn’t be a lottery
A choice for the Prime Minister. YouGov has published new projections on how voters would cast their support if a General Election was held tomorrow and it shows a dramatic shift.
The battle for trust in politics is being lost
Keir Starmer declared shortly after winning the general election that ‘the fight for trust is the battle that defines our political era’.
Our webinar: How to reform the House of Lords?
This month, Unlock Democracy hosted a lively and insightful webinar exploring the future of the House of Lords.
Did Elon Musk buy the US election?
"Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude."
Labour is failing to reverse years of austerity for local government
'More than a decade of central government-imposed austerity on local councils looks set to continue.'
The Dangers of the UK’s Uncodified Constitution
In most modern democracies, a single document lays out what those in power can and cannot do. This document is called a constitution. However, in the UK, we don’t have one!
An Outsider’s Take: How UK Elections Compare to the US
As an American intern at Unlock Democracy, I have been exploring how the UK’s democratic system works and how it compares to what I know from home.
Some unprecedented results…
Will someone wake up? I’m going to start with a big statement: the local election results this year were different to anything anyone has ever seen before, certainly in this century.
Six things we learned from the local elections
Last week’s election results show the First Past the Post voting system is no longer fit for purpose.
Trump's first 100 days
Democracy in the US has taken a serious beating. The new President has pushed the limits of his presidential power and attacked the legal system when it stands in his way.
Who has power?
In their assault on quangos, politicians are not being honest about the trade-offs
Make democracy great again
“Our democracy is on the ballot. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. Let us vote to protect our democracy in November.”
Are our democracies safe from corruption?
The ‘land of the free’ has seen a strong whiff of anarchy, autocracy and nationalism enter the White House
Who Profits in Parliament? The Gender Pay Gap in MPs’ Second Jobs
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.
Trump’s Actions Could Push the UK Towards Constitutional Reform
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.
Why so timid?
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?