Category: Opinion
-
Oxford Climate Review: Out of Proportion
How electoral systems can transform climate policy
-
Why our media is wrong to say proportional representation helps the extreme right
The UK media likes to blame far right gains elsewhere – as in Sweden’s recent election – on PR. In fact the evidence shows disproportional voting systems give more power to the extreme right. This was originally posted as an article for OpenDemocracy: Why our media is wrong to say proportional representation helps the extreme right Reading the…
-
The case for mandatory reselection
This was originally posted as an article for the Oxford University Labour Club blog: The Case for Mandatory Reselection As the 2018 Labour Conference approaches, the debate around mandatory reselection is intensifying. For some MPs and their supporters, mandatory reselection is simply a tool for the left to purge the ‘moderates’ from the Party. This may…
-
Why is the Labour Party machine ignoring members on voting reform?
My piece for LabourList on how Labour’s internal policy makers are dragging their heels on PR: Why is the Labour Party machine ignoring members on voting reform?
-
Greens overtake AfD in Germany: why does the British media report European elections so badly?
A poll of German voters has shown Die Grünen ahead of far right Alternative für Deutschland. The poll shows Merkel’s CDU ahead on 31% followed by the SPD on 17%, the Greens are in 3rd at 15%, narrowly overtaking AfF on 14% who are trailed by Die Linke and the FDP on 10 and 8%.…
-
A tram system for Truro
This was originally a tweet in which I proposed a tram line for Truro, here I’ve bulked it up with some justifications. Truro (population around 20,000) is relatively much smaller than most cities with proposed mass transit systems but I think it’s pretty interesting given the large amount of travel into the city in relation…
-
A Reluctant Case For A People’s Vote
This was originally posted as a HuffPost article: A Reluctant Case for a People’s Vote As Theresa May negotiates our exit of the European Union, her government lurches from crisis to crisis. Whichever path she takes, the Prime Minister can expect a rebellion from at least one side of her party. And with an opportunistic…
-
Less Than a Third of Adults Believe Britain’s Democracy is Worth Celebrating
This was originally posted as a HuffPost article: Less Than a Third of Adults Believe Britain’s Democracy is Worth Celebrating Monday 2 July marked the beginning of the Government’s ‘National Democracy Week’, a week long celebration of British democracy which coincided with the 90th anniversary of equal voting rights for women. However, not everyone is in…
-
Why voter ID checks are a threat to British democracy
My piece for IndyVoices on the Voter ID trials in May’s local elections: Why voter ID checks are a threat to British democracy “To improve democracy, we should constantly seek to widen participation and engage people, not find an excuse to prevent them from voting”
-
I Wouldn’t Be At Oxford If My Parents Couldn’t Afford My Bus Pass, Which Is Why Labour’s New Policy is Crucial
This blog post was originally posted to Huffpost: I Wouldn’t Be At Oxford If My Parents Couldn’t Afford My Bus Pass, Which Is Why Labour’s New Policy is Crucial and Oxford Uni Labour: Why Labour’s New Bus Pass Policy is Crucial At the end of Year 11, I got a proper say in my education for the first…
Owen Winter 