Guides

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is entitled to an annual salary of £161,401. All of his recent predecessors as Prime Minister have been able to command substantial earnings and fees on leaving office.Read More

Despite talk of a 'youthquake', UK voter turnout in 2019 was only 47% amongst those aged 18-24 compared to 74% amongst those aged over 65. Whilst in Bolivia, non voters can be denied from withdrawing their salary from the bank for three months.Read More

An overview on the process governing elections to the House of Commons. Who can vote, who can stand for election, how much can candidates spend, and what are the rules around televised election broadcasts.Read More

What does gesture politics mean? What are the best examples of gesture politics.Read More

The state of play with current UK opinion polls, how they have changed since 2019, and what the present levels of party support would mean at Westminster if a General Election was held today.Read More

Leaders debates capture the controlled interactions of Britain's foremost politicians. They excite the political class, more than the public as a whole. In 2017, 'Britain's Got Talent' (BGT) out-competed the BBC's 2017 political debate, winning by 8.5 million viewers to 3.5 million.Read More

With the repeal of the Fixed Term Parliament Act, Boris Johnson will have the power to call a General Election prior to May 2024 should he wish to do so. Israel and Japan also both allow their governments to decide the next election date.Read More

Pluralism is a practice and political philosophy which maintains that the participation of diverse groups in society is both necessary and good. Pluralism encourages the expression and inclusion of many voices in order to promote democracy.Read More

Lobbying is a catch-all term to describe 'special interest' groups and their tactics to gain influence in the political process,. As former Prime Minister, David Cameron, has discovered, the influence of lobbyists is said to be at its greatest, when their activities go 'largely unnoticed by the public'.Read More

A Pressure Group is an organised group united in the promotion of a common cause, with the aim of influencing government policy. The former Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd, once famously described Pressure Groups as ‘serpents that strangle efficient government’.Read More

The latest Scottish opinion polling data, detailing current levels of support for the 'Yes' and the 'No' side, and how this has changed over the years.Read More

The Shadow Cabinet is made up of the senior members of the largest party not in government. Labour's Shadow Cabinet has been appointed by the party leader since 2011. Prior to then, it had been elected by the Parliamentary Party. Read the current list here.Read More

Tactical voting is broadly defined as voting for a party that is not your first-preference. The average tactical voter is said to be engaged with politics, pragmatic, and highly educated. In the 2019 General Election, some 19% of voters said they planned to vote tactically.Read More

Think tanks are research and advocacy institutions that publish advice on a range of social, political and economic issues in hope of influencing policymakers and the power-holders of society. Here is an overview of the different 'policy wonks' across the political spectrum.Read More

A consideration of why opinion polls often get it wrong, and as to whether they publication of election polls should be banned in the period running up to polling day.Read More

The voting age in the UK for General Elections is 18, albeit it is lower in Wales and Scotland for all other elections. Whilst in Hungary, 16 and 17 year old's are allowed to vote if they are married.Read More