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Biographies | Left Foot Forward

http://leftfootforward.org/biographies

Adam Barnett is staff writer for Left Foot Forward. Has written for Private Eye, Dissent, New Statesman, Prospect, and the Independent. Will Straw @wdjstraw is Associate Director for Strategic Development at the Institute for Public Policy Research and Founder of Left Foot Forward. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for American Progress and was a 2007-08 Fulbright Scholar. His personal blog can be found at RadicalDandy. And you can follow him of Twitter: @aaronjohnpeters. Alexandra is an intern.

richardjberry.com

Scots living overseas or elsewhere in the UK should have been given the right to vote in the independence referendum | Richard Berry

https://richardjberry.com/2014/10/03/scots-living-overseas-or-elsewhere-in-the-uk-should-have-been-given-the-right-to-vote-in-the-independence-referendum

Localism and democracy research. Football and human rights. Independents and local parties. Scots living overseas or elsewhere in the UK should have been given the right to vote in the independence referendum. My post for Democratic Audit. It has been a source of humour that some of the biggest supporters of Scottish independence have been prevented from voting in this month’s referendum. Celebrities like Sean Connery. But the residency rules do not follow this pattern. Armed forces and Crown personn...

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Reviews | Richard Berry

https://richardjberry.com/category/reviews

Localism and democracy research. Football and human rights. Independents and local parties. Book Review – Making British Law: Committees in Action. I reviewed Louise Thompson’s new book on House of Commons bill committees for LSE Review of Books. The book offers a persuasive new account of committees’ work and shows how backbench MPs can influence legislation. In Parliament and government. Book Review: Devolution and Localism in England by David M. Smith and Enid Wistrich. I reviewed ‘Yes: The Radi...

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Three reforms that would be more effective than adding a ‘None of the above’ option to ballot papers | Richard Berry

https://richardjberry.com/2015/01/27/three-reforms-more-effective-than-none-of-the-above

Localism and democracy research. Football and human rights. Independents and local parties. Three reforms that would be more effective than adding a ‘None of the above’ option to ballot papers. My post for Democratic Audit. India introduced a ‘None of the above’ (NOTA) option at its general election last year, the biggest democratic election ever held. This allowed voters to reject all of the candidates standing in their constituency; ultimately, 1.1% of Indian voters chose this option. And it seems only...

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Votes at 16 in NHS Foundation Trust elections | Richard Berry

https://richardjberry.com/2014/09/30/votes-at-16-in-nhs-foundation-trust-elections

Localism and democracy research. Football and human rights. Independents and local parties. Votes at 16 in NHS Foundation Trust elections. My post for Health Election Data. August 2014) on the practice of allowing 16 year olds to vote and stand in NHS Foundation Trust elections. This makes NHS elections almost unique – fully before the Scottish independence referendum – and could mean they provide a valuable source of research evidence. Trust it is 12. For each of these trusts, elected governors must...

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Uncategorized | Richard Berry

https://richardjberry.com/category/uncategorized

Localism and democracy research. Football and human rights. Independents and local parties. Book Review: The VP Advantage: How Running Mates Influence Home State Voting in Presidential Elections. Podcast: politics, democracy, fact, and fiction. I co-presented a new podcast from Democratic Audit (June 2014) about political fiction. I interviewed political writers and academic experts, asking how close to reality fiction tends to be and the harmful effects of distorted portrayals. 9 reasons why we should c...

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Book Review: Money and Electoral Politics: Local Parties and Funding in General Elections | Richard Berry

https://richardjberry.com/2014/09/29/book-review-money-and-electoral-politics-local-parties-and-funding-in-general-elections

Localism and democracy research. Football and human rights. Independents and local parties. Book Review: Money and Electoral Politics: Local Parties and Funding in General Elections. My review of ‘Money and Electoral Politics’ by Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie for LSE Review of Books. 15 August 2014). I found the book an excellent source of data and insight on the financing of political parties and elections, but with a number of key issues under-explored. Money and Electoral Politics. The second major ...

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Switching off E4 on election day will not help engage young voters | Richard Berry

https://richardjberry.com/2015/05/10/switching-off-e4-election-day-not-engage-young-voters

Localism and democracy research. Football and human rights. Independents and local parties. Switching off E4 on election day will not help engage young voters. My article on The Huffington Post. 30 April 2015), criticising Channel 4 for its decision to switch off E4 on election day. Although well-meaning, this move represented a continuation of tiresome efforts to exhort young people to vote, without addressing any more fundamental reasons for their disaffection. The Big Bang Theory. Our polling stations...

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Referendum is both a boon and a curse for bid to lower the voting age | Richard Berry

https://richardjberry.com/2014/10/07/referendum-is-both-a-boon-and-a-curse-for-bid-to-lower-the-voting-age

Localism and democracy research. Football and human rights. Independents and local parties. Referendum is both a boon and a curse for bid to lower the voting age. My article for The Conversation. 24 September 2014) in the aftermath of the Scottish independence referendum, responding to the growing political support for lowering the voting age to 16. I summarised arguments in favour of the change, and highlighted a downside with the idea that it be discussed in a constitutional convention. Than some predi...