Holyrood has rejected legislative consent for the EU (Withdrawal) Bill - what does that mean, and what happens next?

When it comes to whether the lives of British troops should be put on the line in Syria, Parliament is powerless to act, and the Prime Minister is accountable to no one. Unaccountable power and an unacceptable process of undemocratic decision making have crystallised why the UK’s archaic unwritten constitution is so problematic.

On Thursday 29 March Unlock Democracy's Director Alexandra Runswick spoke at the Fair Vote rally outside Parliament. This is what she had to say. 

Unlock Democracy is calling for an urgent and immediate overhaul of electoral law and extended powers for the Electoral Commission, in light of allegations that Vote Leave has broken electoral law.

Another year, another major scandal revolving around big money distorting our democracy. But cutting through the noise, this is really a story about the same old tricks being used with different packaging.

Unlock Democracy's Campaigns Officer, Sam, is always keen to keep on top on the latest innovations in campaigning. So after reading a new book called Stand Up! he wanted to share its insights with you.

The border on the isle of Ireland has becoming a key sticking point in Brexit talks. Brian Gormally, the Director of the Committee on the Administration of Justice, a Belfast based human rights NGO, explains why this issue is so important. 

The lack of diversity in parliament is symptomatic of a system that inherently benefits the status quo. The Centenary anniversary of the Representation of the People Act should mark a time for celebration as well as an impetus for change.  

After months of the government making key decisions about Brexit behind closed doors, we’ve found a way the public can have a say.

Unlock Democracy is part of the Centenary Action Group, a new coalition. 

What you need to know about the Withdrawal Bill as it heads to the House of Lords. 

Just before Christmas we shared the biggest political scandals of 2017, and what a list to choose from! Now, as we prepare for the year ahead, here’s 5 of our hopes for the change 2018 can bring.

In the wake of the government’s major defeat on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, many myths have arisen that have wrongly attributed both motivations for why Parliament made the decision it did, and what the consequences of that decision are. We thought we’d shed some light on what is actually going on and clear up the main myths that have come out of the debates.

A debate which saw the government defeated for the first time on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill saw an engaging and thoughtful discussion amongst MPs that raised a number of questions, like: where should decisions making lie? What does a ‘meaningful’ vote look like? What should the balance of power be the between Parliament and Government?

In terms of politics, 2017 has been a bumper year for scandals. We think the abundance of scandals is a fair indicator of whether or not our political system is working well. So we thought we’d reflect on the biggest blunders and disreputable deeds of the last twelve months.

The EU (Withdrawal) Bill as drafted undermines the hard-won devolution settlements that have brought stability and peace to the UK’s people. We’re calling on supporters to #StopThePowerGrab of Westminster ministers and support our current devolution settlements.

Unlock Democracy has joined with nearly seventy organisations from across civil society in the UK, with millions of members, to call for new rules that put democracy, scrutiny, and transparency at the heart of trade.

The Paradise Papers have shown that the elites aren’t contributing their fair share to society by avoiding taxation through different (legal and illegal) mechanisms. The UK government has failed once again to tackle this important problem. In a time in which whilst cuts and austerity hit harder the most vulnerable in our societies, we need to ask ourselves: why?

David Davis announced that a new bill will be introduced to give Parliament a vote on implementing the withdrawal agreement. The initial reaction has been s to call this a ‘massive concession of government’, but is it really?

As the EU (Withdrawal) Bill heads to Committee Stage in the House of Commons, Malene Bratlie from the Repeal Bill Alliance explains what Committee Stage is and what we can expect.