Elections for the Scottish Parliament take place today. The major parties contesting the election have all published manifestos setting out their policies: they contain numerous proposals to alter the devolution settlement or seek independence, change how parliament operates, improve democratic engagement, and reform standards and operations at the centre of government. In this post, Dave Busfield-Birch explains what changes have been proposed.
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Improving government in Northern Ireland: towards a programme for reform
The Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly are under fire for their record in delivering public policy and services. In a new working paper published as a Constitution Unit report today, Alan Whysall argues that their under-performance threatens the stability of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement settlement. Specific measures to improve matters have been little discussed. The paper – Improving Government in Northern Ireland – offers an agenda for early debate on such measures. The debate must have a clear and urgent purpose – to develop a programme of effective potential changes well before the May 2027 Assembly elections, when the performance of the institutions is likely to be an issue.
Continue readingThe Senedd election in Wales and the constitution: what do the manifestos say?
Elections for the Welsh Senedd take place on 7 May, using an altered voting system and leading to an expanded membership. The major parties contesting the election have all published manifestos setting out their policies: as in Scotland, there are numerous proposals to alter the devolution settlement, change how the devolved institutions operate and reform standards and operations at the centre of government. Dave Busfield-Birch describes what changes have been proposed.
Continue readingHow will the 2026 Senedd election change Welsh politics?
Next week, a new Senedd will be elected in Wales, using an altered electoral system. The result will be an enlarged Senedd, with more members than previous incarnations. Jess Blair explains the changes that have been made, analyses their pros and cons, and argues that the chosen electoral system of closed lists should be replaced with the Single Transferable Vote system (STV).
Continue readingStarmer takes small steps forward as democratic challenges mount
Monitor 92, published today, provides an analysis of constitutional events over the last four months. In this post, which replicates the issue’s lead article, Alan Renwick and Meg Russell argue that the government continues to make small strides in areas such as constitutional standards and electoral reform, where instead bold action to renew the health of democracy is badly needed.
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