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SubscriptionsCategory: Democracy
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Dismay as Starmer Backs Westminster’s ‘Winner Takes All’ Voting System as Labour Eyes Big Majority
During his Labour leadership election, Starmer hinted at backing proportional representation. But he now appears to support continuing with Westminster’s First Past The Post voting system
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The 1900 Club and the Conservative Party: An Inside Look at the Secretive ‘Dining Club That Does More Than Dine’
A recently unearthed booklet on The 1900 Club sheds some light on the history of the organisation and its ties to the Conservative Party
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Having Outlawed Foreign Influence, Georgian Dream Initiates Anti-LGBTQ+ Law
Tbilisi Pride says that it is in the ‘ultimate battle for our lives… and if we lose, we will have to go into exile’
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‘It’s Far More Complicated Now Because of Voter ID’: Unprecedented Challenges Facing the Poll Workers Who Deliver Our Democracy
Matt Gallagher examines elections staffs’ repeated warnings of electoral ‘delivery failure’
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Voter ID: Hundreds of Thousands Risk Being Turned Away From Polls, Leading Human Rights Group Warns
Human rights group Liberty says there is a “huge risk” of large numbers of voters being denied their democratic rights
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Nigel Farage Claims ‘Corruption’ in the UK’s Postal Vote System – and Suggests Trump Lost to Biden due to ‘Ballot Harvesting’
Nigel Farage echoes Trump supporters’ conspiracy theories about electoral fraud in 2020 and makes unevidenced claims of corruption in the UK postal voting system
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How Rishi Sunak ‘Changed the Rules’ to Keep the Conservative Party in Power
The Prime Minister accused Keir Starmer of wanting to “change the rules so they’re in power for a very long time”, despite the Conservatives making a long list of changes to elections designed to keep them in office
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‘We Can Stop Lying in Politics – But Will a New Government Pay Attention to the Public’s Demand for Honesty?
At this moment in history, lying can no longer be dismissed as an unpleasant by-product of the political game – and we can do something about it, writes Compassion in Politics’ co-founder
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‘Donald Trump’s Hush Money Verdicts May Not Hurt his Presidential Run But Will Damage America’s Democracy and Image’
The former US President was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult actress Stormy Daniels
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Fears of Mass Exclusion of Young Voters as Poll Reveals Numbers of 18-24 Year Olds Who Don’t Know About New Photo ID Rules
Young people, those with few qualifications, and voters in Scotland are least aware of new voter ID rules
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‘Only a Bold Vision from Labour Will Restore Any Faith in Our Broken Politics’
Jennifer Nadel, co-founder of Compassion in Politics, argues that Westminster’s dysfunctional system under a potential Labour government could leave the door open to far-right politics in the years ahead
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Modi Likely to Win Third Term in India as Voters Urged to End Reign of ‘Dictator’ Amid Fears Country Will Become ‘Russia-Like Autocracy’
India is about to enter the final phase of its general election, amid cries to ‘save democracy’, with Modi expected to further tighten controls and silence opposition voices if he is re-elected
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Vast Majority of Those Turned Away Over Voter ID in Local Elections Were ‘Non-White’ According to Polling Station Observers
The figure has surged compared to last year’s local elections, raising concerns over discrimination, the UK’s leading election monitoring group has warned
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Neoliberalism: ‘Capitalism’s Response to Democracy’
Matt Gallagher watched Guardian columnist George Monbiot make the case for a ‘politics of belonging’ – but how to get there?
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Stop the Student Votes: Leaked Memo Exposes the Real Purpose of Voter ID
The leaked memo reveals Downing Street feared letting veterans use their veteran IDs would “open the floodgates” to also making it easier for students to vote
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Infected Blood Inquiry: Why a ‘Misconduct in Public Office Act’ Could Hold Those Behind State Tragedies, Scandals and Frauds Properly to Account
Despite a raft of public scandals involving government corruption and negligence, there is still no adequate statutory framework to bring those guilty of misconduct in a public office to account
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Sunak’s ‘Anti-Extremism’ Adviser Demands Protest Bans to Protect Defence and Energy Firms While Working as Lobbyist for Arms and Fossil Fuel Industry Groups
Lord Walney’s proposals would impose an effective ban on certain protest groups while handing police forces the power to outlaw regular Gaza protests
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Potential Conservative Leadership Candidate Robert Jenrick Blames Donation from Dormant Firm On Administrative Error
The MP reported a donation from a company that appears to be inactive in the UK – which his team has now told Byline Times was a mistake
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More Protesters to Face Prison as Government Plans Bans on Face Masks and Flares at Demonstrations
“The Government is determined to shut down the ways in which ordinary people can take to the streets to make their voices heard,” Liberty says
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Why Mayors Outside Westminster Are Distancing Themselves From their Parties’ Politics and Colours
Much was made of newly elected Conservative Mayor Ben Houchen not being able to find a blue rosette – but outside the Westminster bubble associations with party brands are often an obstacle to get work done
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Stop the Votes: Conservative MP Calls for Postal Vote Ban After Huge Local Election Defeats
The call follows a series of attempts by the Conservative party to change the electoral system to their benefit
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Telegraph Columnist Says Voter ID Issue ‘Just Bonkers’ After his Wife was Told to Return With Marriage Certificate Before She Could Vote
Discrepancies between married names and maiden names on IDs caused problems for some voters, but not others on Thursday – suggesting the rules were not applied consistently
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‘Undemocratic’ and Possible ‘Gerrymandering’: Voters Express Anger After First Past the Post Introduced for Mayoral and PCC Elections
The change to First Past the Post is expected to benefit Conservatives like Susan Hall, who might win fewer second preference votes than Labour
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‘I Had to Argue for My Right to Vote’: Voters Report Being Denied a Say in Local Elections Due to Strict Photo ID Law
Voters say they struggled to prove their identities as polling stations enforced England’s draconian photo ID rules
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Ex-Army Officer Who Served in Afghanistan ‘Blocked from Ballot Box’ After Veteran ID Rejected
EXCLUSIVE: One ex-Army MP branded the situation “ludicrous” while even Conservatives seemed to despair
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The Great Conservative Election Data-Trawl Continues
Byline Times has spotted four more instances of questionable data collection by parliamentary candidates. Can you help this newspaper find more?
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Just a Fraction of Voters Who Lack Photo ID Apply for ‘Free’ Identification – In Warning Sign for Mayoral Elections
Low take-up of the Government’s Voter Authority Certificate poses a risk to voters in May’s local elections, campaigners warn
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Voter Data is Being Trawled by Conservative Politicians – Help Us Shine a Light On It
Help Byline Times follow the dark money and track the dirty data as millions are spent on online political campaigning this election year
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As India Votes, Modi Ignores the Violence in Manipur
Why is the Indian Government turning a blind eye to the ‘civil war’ raging in the northeastern state?
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‘Trump’s Second Presidential Run and the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Have a Lot In Common’
Baltimore’s Francis Scott Bridge collapsed after one part of the structure was hit by a ship. The disaster is a perfect metaphor for the crisis Europe may face if Trump is re-elected, writes Alexandra Hall
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‘The Joe Biden Impeachment Hearing Says Everything About Republicans and Nothing About the President’
Lev Parnas’ bombshell testimony shows the Republicans’ have ‘absolutely no evidence’ against President Joe Biden
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A ‘Damning Indictment’: Eight Million Voters May Be Disenfranchised in General Election, MPs Find
The UK’s electoral registration arrangements are a ‘threat to the rights of British voters’
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Patriotic Alternative: The Threat from the Far Right
A revitalised Europe wide white supremacist movement is growing in the UK, gaining recruits through social media and online gaming
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‘Fixing Broken Britain Starts with Changing a Broken Light Bulb’
UK democracy needs radical reform – but there is little evidence our leaders are ready to take up the challenge, writes Alun Drake
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‘Who Are the Extremists Who Would Tear Us Apart?’
Mustafa Al-Dabbagh argues that it is the Government, not those calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, which is using extremist and divisive rhetoric
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Yes, Lord David Cameron Could Come Back as Prime Minister – and he Wouldn’t Need to Run for MP
New analysis sheds light on a constitutional quirk that allows a member of the House of Lords – or someone outside Parliament altogether – to become Prime Minister
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Rishi Sunak Brushes Off Calls to Commit to an ‘Honest’ Election Campaign
The Conservative benches appeared to burst with laughter at the suggestion
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‘A Voluntary Tech Agreement Will Do Little to Defend Electoral Integrity Against the Worst Uses of AI’
The Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections is well-meaning but lacks detail and urgency, argues Emma DeSouza
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‘Fighting the Enlightenment?’: What Do Danny Kruger’s New Conservatives Really Want?
Among all the new forms of Conservatism springing up in the run up to the next election, Kruger’s New Conservatives appear to be the most religious in their “holy war against the Left”
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‘Starmer Should Ignore the Westminster Pearl-Clutching: Why Labour is Right to Look at Citizens’ Assemblies’
It’s time for politicians to show leadership and give away some power, writes Compass’ Frances Foley
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Viktor Orbán is Battling the Greatest Political Crisis of His Tenure
A scandal involving a pardon to a paedophile’s accomplice has already taken down Hungary’s former justice minister, President, and the head of the Hungarian Reformed Church
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Millions Missing from Electoral Roll as Voters Face Double Whammy of Registration Issues and Photo ID
In some constituencies, one-fifth of potential voters have not signed up to the electoral roll, new analysis reveals
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Disabled Trans Woman Who Says She’s Been ‘Denied Vote’ Due to Photo ID Rules Launches Legal Challenge
The Government is refusing to expand the list of approved forms of voter ID despite warnings of large numbers of voters set to be turned away at the general election
