News

Brown Slumps to 3rd in Poll as Activists Get Election Timetable, Bloomberg (2009)

Even though the general elections will take place next year, the parties are already preparing for campaigning. This article comments on the results of the most recent poll, in which the ruling Labour Party fell to the third place for the first time since 1982.

UK: Police on alert as watchdog fears rise in fraud at general election, The Guardian (2010)

The election watchdog warns of possible electoral fraud in upcoming general election as the margins for victory are expected to be more tight than ever before. This situation, combined with the fact that there will be also local elections in large metropolitan areas and a high number of new candidates could lead to more claims of fraudulent votes and unfair campaigning.

UK: People 'feel less of a duty to vote at elections', BBC News (2010)

According to a government-backed survey, the number of people who feel compelled to vote in general elections is declining; just as the voter turnout at general elections. 56% of respondents said it was 'everyone's duty to vote'. While still more than a majority, the number has dropped from 68% in 2001. At the same time, 32% of people said they had 'not much' or 'no interest' in politics at all.

UK: Referendum wording to be revealed, BBC (2010)

The question that could be asked in a future referendum on Scottish independence is expected to be contained in the draft Referendum Bill. This referendum is currently opposed by the major parties; Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats.

UK: Party leaders agree TV election debate rules, The Guardian (2010)

Political parties and broadcasters published a 76-point agreement on three ground-breaking TV election debates. The rules allow predetermined questions, asked directly by the selected audience, but not known by the leaders in advance. Despite the promise of special debates in Scotland and Wales, nationalist and small parties complain about their exclusion.

MoD to 'bury bad news' by banning media from Afghan front, The Mail Online (2010)

The Ministry of Defence was last night accused of attempting to 'bury bad news' by banning journalists from the Afghan frontline during the election campaign.This will also prevent senior officers from making public speeches or giving interviews to reporters.

Britain heads for inconclusive election: poll, Reuters (2010)

No political party has enough support to win outright control of parliament in Britain's forthcoming election, raising the prospect of a period of unstable minority government, opinion polls showed.

UK: Timetable to Election 2010, BBC (2010)

This is the likely countdown to polling day according to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's announcement that the Budget will be on 24 March has convinced most MPs that the general election will follow on 6 May.

General Election 2010: how to vote in Britain, Daily Telegraph (2010)

This is a guide to who can vote and how to do it ahead of the upcoming General Election in the United Kingdom.

UK: Photographer Simon Roberts is official election artist, BBC (2010)

The Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art has chosen the photographer Simon Roberts as the nation's official artist for the coming general election. He has been commissioned to document campaigning activity in the run-up to polling day.

UK General Election 2010 political map, The Telegraph (2010)

With this dynamic political map you can see the state of play in UK politics at a single glance, track the Government’s performance and follow the 2010 British General Election. Each hexagon marks a single constituency and clicks through to information on candidates, health, crime and education.

UK: Cameron's refusal to hold EU referendum spells 'certain disaster', Ukip leader says, The Telegraph (2010)

David Cameron's refusal to offer a referendum on Europe would spell ''absolutely certain disaster'' for Britain in the event of the a Tory election win, the UK Independence Party leader said.

British parties imitate Obama in e-election, The Washington Post (2010)

U.S. President Barack Obama's use of the Web on his way to the White House in 2008 has inspired British political parties to ramp up their digital campaigns for a general election expected in May.

UK: How TV can help win an election, BBC (2010)

As party leaders prepare for the UK's first televised prime ministerial debates,this is an article that looks back at how the love affair between TV and politics evolved.

UK: The 2010 data election, redux, The Guardian (2010)

Can data win elections? Gordon Brown launched his proposals to provide superfast broadband vital to prevent the 'digital divide'. While most of the news focus will be on the plans to introduce a £6-a-year landline tax, an unheralded focus was just how much of the speech focused on the plans for government data.

UK: Election to be called for 6 May, BBC (2010)

Gordon Brown will visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace later to request the dissolution of Parliament to prepare for the Elections which was decided to be on 6 May 2010.

UK: Does age matter in a general election?, BBC (2010)

Parliamentary candidates as young as 18 are campaigning for your votes in the general election, but can youth compete with experience? This question was on discussed in this article.

UK: Facebook joins drive to get UK voters to polls, The Washington Post (2010)

Fighting historic lows in turnout levels, British election officials will for the first time use Facebook to encourage more people to register in the May 6 parliamentary elections. Every visitor to the site will be asked if s/he has already signed up to vote, and if not, s/he will be re-directed to the registration website. The campaign hopes to lead to the increase in the number of registered young voters, as they are among the biggest Facebook users, but traditionally hard to convince to go to vote.

UK: At-a-glance: Labour election manifesto, BBC (2010)

Labour have launched the manifesto their supporters hope will secure the party a fourth term in office.

UK: Where They Stand: Guide to party election policies, BBC (2010)

A guideline to the UK's major parties' manifesto, profile and website.

UK: LibDem surge raises election uncertainty, Reuters (2010)

New polls on Monday showed the Liberal Democrats surging in popularity ahead of a May 6 election as the two larger parties tried to fend off the unexpected challenge.

UK: General Election 2010: is first-past-the-post on its last legs?, The Telegraph (2010)

The Liberal Democratic Party surge raises fundamental questions about electoral reform.

Voting interest up after UK debate, Aljazeera (2010)

The number of Britons showing an interest in registering to vote in the country's May 6 general election has surged after last week's television debate between the three main candidates. The electoral commission said that as well as the debate, a partnership with the Facebook social networking website over the weekend had contributed to the spike in interest in voting.

UK: Basildon boxer to fight election as 'None Of The Above', BBC (2010)

Voters in parts of Essex will see a line on their ballot papers enabling them to vote for "None Of The Above".

UK: Economist magazine backs Conservatives, Reuters (2010)

The influential Economist magazine endorsed Britain's main opposition Conservatives on Thursday, giving them a boost ahead of next week's parliamentary election.

UK: Election 2010: Battle for votes enters last 72 hours, BBC (2010)

Labour, the Conservatives and Lib Dems are into the final three days of election campaigning as polls suggest the result is still in the balance.

UK: Election 2010: What influence do newspapers have over voters?, The Guardian (2010)

Britain's national newspapers are hardly known for their political reticence. Historically, most of them have been unashamedly partisan, spinning every story in order either to promote the party they favour or to denigrate the opposition.

UK General election 2010: your questions answered, The Guardian (2010)

Questions on the UK general Election 2010; answered by a number of writers and journalists.

Voters head to polls for UK general election, BBC (2010)

Millions of people across the UK have started today 6 May, casting their votes in the general election.

As Britain goes to polls, shake-up in Parliament is forecast, Washington Post (2010)

Polls in Britain opened Thursday after a volatile and closely contested four-week campaign, with signs pointing to an outcome that could produce the most fragile government in a generation.

Uk: General Election 2010: Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg cast their vote, The Telegraph (2010)

Leaders of the three main parties have cast their ballot as millions of voters go to the polls in the most tightly-contested General Election in a generation.

UK set for hung Parliament with Tories largest party, BBC (2010)

Labour cannot now win a majority, but it is not clear which party will be in a position to form a government. Tory leader David Cameron said it was "clear that the Labour government has lost its mandate to govern".

UK: Election 2010: Voters' frustrations at polling problems, BBC (2010)

Hundreds of voters have been turned away at a number of polling stations across the country, as people struggled to vote before polls closed at 2200 BST in the UK general election.

UK: What is a hung Parliament?, The Telegraph (2010)

A hung Parliament is created if no party wins an outright majority. In this election that would require one party to win 326 seats out of 650 with the Tories predicted to win only 309 at the current count. If the Tories do not form a minority government, two parties must form a coalition to govern in order to create an overall majority of MPs.

UK: Election 2010: Voters turned away as polls close, BBC (2010)

An inquiry will be held after hundreds of voters were turned away from polling stations and police called to deal with queues as the voting deadline passed.

UK: Hung parliament: Bear with us, urges Nick Clegg, BBC (2010)

Nick Clegg has asked people to "bear with us" a bit longer as the Lib Dems and the Tories resume a third day of negotiations on forming a government.

Q&A: Calls to change the UK election voting system, BBC (2010)

This article explores in detail the challenges facing the UK with regards the issue of electoral reform.

UK: General Election 2010: how different voting systems would have affected the result, The Telegraph (2010)

An article exploring the alternative outcomes of the 2010 general election under different electoral systems.

UK: Gordon Brown plays last card – proffering his resignation, The Guardian (2010)

This article discusses the resignation of Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Gordon Brown during the post-election negotiations.

UK:General Election 2010: Electoral Commission 'lacked grasp of reality', The Telegraph (2010)

This article discusses the consequences of the problems faced by some voters at polling stations during the 2010 general election.

UK: British Government Talks Intensify, The New York Times (2010)

This article focuses on the continuing negotiations between parties in the UK following the results of the general election.

More talks fail to resolve UK election deadlock, CNN (2010)

Five days after the national elections, political parties in UK are still holding negotiations for a new government. For the first time since 1974 no party won a majority in the House of Commons.

UK: Conservatives Shape Coalition as Brown Leaves, The Wall Street Journal (2010)

The Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, announced a power-sharing deal with the Liberal Democrats. In Thursday's general election, no single party was able to obtain the majority of the seats in the Parliament. It will be the first time that Britain is led by a coalition since the 1930s.

UK: Historic coalition government begins to take shape, The Independent (2010)

This article discusses the newly formed coalition government that resulted from the May 6 general election.

UK:Labour MPs to meet for first time in opposition, The Telegraph (2010)

This article discusses the Labour Party's first meeting in opposition following the May 6 general election.

UK:Speaker John Bercow’s position at risk in new Parliament, The Times Online (2010)

This article discusses the process of electing a speaker in the British Parliament.

UK:Britain's Labour opts for long leadership contest, Reuters (2010)

This article discusses the contest to elect a new leader of the Labour Party.

UK: John Bercow re-elected as Mr Speaker as Ayes drown out the revolt, The Times (2010)

This article discusses John Bercow's re-election as Speaker of the Commons.

UK: New Labour leader to be elected at September conference, BBC News (2010)

The leader of the Labor Party will be announced on September 25, during its annual conference. Nominations will open sooner, on May 24. Observers say that the party will have the opportunity to renew and refresh its leadership.

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UK: Call for 'urgent changes' after polling queues, The Independent (2010)

After the May 6 elections, the Electoral Commission is considering serious changes to the electoral law. Many people were lining up outside of the polling station and plently of them did not not have a chance to vote.

UK:Electoral Commission hits out at 'unacceptable' voting problems, The Telegraph (2010)

This article focuses on The Electoral Commission's review of the reported problems at polling stations on election night. There were complaints from some voters that they were turned away in spite of arriving before the 10 pm polling station closing time.

UK: Urgent reforms demanded after election night chaos, The Independent (2010)

This article discusses the call for reform following the Electoral Commission's findings that 1200 people were unable to vote due to poor planning at polling stations.

UK:General Election 2010, The Telegraph (2010)

This article provides a summary of the May 6 general election. It also includes links to facts an election map and constituency results.

UK: Election date risks Scottish and Welsh confusion, warns advisers, The Guardian (2010)

This article reports on an independent expert's opinion about the date for the next elections in 2015. The May 7 date would clash with Welsh and Scottish elections, causing much confusion.

UK: Scots prisoners a step closer to voting rights, The Herald Scotland (2010)

This article discusses the UK government's response to the final warning of the Council of Europe on inmates' voting rights in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A few Scottish prisoners took their cases to the European court of Strasbourg, they will now receive a compensation from the UK government.

Election reform in the United Kingdom, Foreign Policy Journal (2010)

This article discusses the possibility of an election reform in the UK. In the Conservative/Liberal agreement for the coalition government, the two parties established to hold a referendum on a new electoral system next year. In particular, the Liberal Party would like to introduce the Alternative Vote electoral system. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of such a system.

UK: London Assembly investigates election day polling, BBC News (2010)

This article report on the London Assembly's investigation on how the voting operations were managed on election day. As a matter of fact, many Londoners were not able to vote because of overcrowding in the polling stations. Furthermore, the Assembly will also look into the Metropolitan Police investigation on allegations of postal vote fraud and electoral irregularities.

UK:London Assembly investigates election day polling, BBC (2010)

The London Assembly will investigate after reported problems in council elections in May. They are also investigating the general election as many people were turned away due unexpected voter turnout.

Britain to vote next year on electoral reform, The Telegraph (2010)

This article discusses the decision to hold a referendum on May 5 to modify the electoral in the United Kingdom. This referendum, a part of the Coalition agreement, would change the first-past-the-post system to favor small parties representation. A formal announcement is expected for next week.

UK: Vote change ballot set to clash with assembly elections, BBC News (2010)

This article discusses issues related to the call for a referendum on the electoral law in the UK. As a matter of fact, the referendum would clash with the May 5 assembly elections in Welsh. Deputy PM Nick Clegg is now expected to announce the final date for the 'Alternative Vote' referendum.

UK:Referendum/poll clash criticised, BBC News (2010)

Plans to hold the referendum on electoral reform on May 5 have been criticized as it would conflict with polls in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has argued that holding it on the same day will increase turnout and save money.

UK: No. 2 Leader Unveils Plan to Overhaul British Politics, The New York Times (2010)

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has put forward his proposal for electoral reform. The proposed changes include implementing the alternative vote system. The referendum on electoral reform was part of the bargain to form the coalition government between the Liberal Democrats the Conservatives.

UK: Clegg's U-turn on plan that would let 'zombie' government limp on, The Daily Mail (2010)

This article discusses some of the changes made by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to his original plans for electoral reform. Among the changes Clegg has dropped a proposal that would require 55% to vote to dissolve parliament.

UK: Ofcom rejects complaints over Sky News election coverage, The Guardian (2010)

Ofcom has rejected complaints against Sky News filed in response to some of their election coverage. The channel received nearly 2800 complaints due to some Adam Boulton and Kay Burley's election programmes.

UK:Holyrood to be given power to move date of election, Herald Scotland (2010)

The Scottish Secretary is considering giving more power to Holyrood to allow them to change the date of election by up to several months. This is in response to a possible clash of elections with Westminster in 2015.

UK:Voting referendum: Sides mobilise over electoral reform, BBC News (2010)

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has put forward the plan for electoral reform and the issue will be decided in a referendum scheduled for May 5. Both those for and against the reforms are preparing for their respective campaigns.

UK:Historic case is set to challenge election result, Manchester Evening News (2010)

A defeated candidate has brought a historical case against Labour campaigners, alleging that they made false claims about him during the campaign. If he is successful it could mean a new election for the seat.

UK: Tory MP under fire for ‘electoral breach’, The Herald Scotland (2010)

Tory MP David Mundell is being investigated for a breach of electoral law. Labour have called on Mundell, who is responsible for election conduct to step down during the investigation.

UK:Clegg and Cameron reject poll date fears, The Scotland Herald (2010)

Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg have rejected claims that holding the referendum on electoral reform on the same day as other polls in Scotland, Wales and North Ireland would have negative effects and cause confusion. The PM's spokesperson insisted that it would would cut costs substantially.

UK:'Step aside' call over David Mundell election spending, BBC News (2010)

The Scotland Officer David Mundell is facing a possible inquiry over election spending. Some are insisting that he step aside during the investigation as he is the minister responsible for the good conduct of elections in Scotland.

UK:How 2010 WAS the social media general election, Press Gazette (2010)

A study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism suggested that most 18-24 year-olds received their political information online and that an online campaign by the Electoral Commission to increase voter registration was effective.

UK:AV would have given Liberal Democrats real choice of coalition partner, The Guardian (2010)

A study conducted by Essex University suggests that if the Alternative Vote system was used in the last election the Liberal Democrats would have gained more seats and greater power in forming a coalition. Deputy PM will answer questions about the proposed electoral reforms ahead of a referendum on the issue.

UK:Clegg rejects criticism over voting reform referendum, BBC News (2010)

Deputy PM has rejected claims that holding the referendum on electoral reform on the same day as votes in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland would cause confusion or skew results.

UK: Tory backbenchers oppose election delay proposals, The Independent (2010)

Tory backbenchers oppose part of the proposed electoral reform that would allow for a 14-day period to form a new administration in response to a lost confidence vote. The opponents of the measure say it will reduce the powers of the Queen.

UK:Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith facing questions over election expenses, The Guardian (2010)

An investigation has questioned whether Tory MP Zac Goldsmith did in fact stay within the legal limits for campaign spending. The candidate reduced some costs by declaring the number of items he used rather than those that he purchased.

UK:Labour contenders: Ed Balls, BBC News (2010)

This article discusses the political history of Labour leadership candidate, Ed Balls as well as some the challenges he will face in the leadership race. There is also a brief summary of how the vote to elect a new leader will work.

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UK:Michael Moore backs David Mundell during expenses probe, BBC News (2010)

Scottish Secretary Michael Moore has given his support to David Mundell during the election expenses investigation. Mundell has been accused misreporting election costs.

UK:Labour hopeful’s sights are set on Scotland, The Herald Scotland (2010)

Labour leadership candidate David Miliband emphasized the importance of the upcoming Scottish parliamentary elections in revitalizing Labour. Miliband claims that Holyrood is the place for Labour to begin its fightback.

UK:'Lessons learned' after Bristol 2010 election blunders, BBC News (2010)

An independent study commissioned by the Bristol City Council offered recommendations to avoid the problems that occurred during the last general election, but indicated that the overall integrity of the vote was unaffected.

UK: Electoral reform 'would boost Tory seats', The Independent (2010)

According to research under the proposed election reform the Conservative party would gain seats in an election. The research indicated that the Tories would win more seats under the Alternative Vote System than they would under the current First Past The Post System.

UK:Electoral Commission to review Zac Goldsmith's election spending, The Guardian (2010)

The Electoral Commission has launched a case review of Zac Goldsmith's campaign spending. The case review will determine if there was any breach of law.

UK:Wording on alternative vote referendum revealed, The Telegraph (2010)

The exact wording of the question on the ballot in the May 5 referendum on electoral reform has been revealed. The bill on electoral reform will also reduce the number of MPs and reshape the constituencies.

UK:Voting reform question for May referendum unveiled, The Guardian (2010)

The question that will appear on the ballot in the May 5 referendum on electoral referendum was revealed. Shadow justice secretary Jack Straw criticized the brevity of the period for voicing concerns and plans to reduce the current number of MPs by fifty.

UK:Crunch time as Lib Dems and Tories count electoral cost of coalition, The Guardian (2010)

Dropping poll numbers for the Liberal Democrats may put their coalition with the Conservatives in jeopardy long before the 2015 general election. The Lib Dems could be potentially hurt at the next election due to their association with the Tories.

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UK:Election court to sit in Oldham over Phil Woolas result, BBC News (2010)

A high court judge has ruled that an Election Court will be convened in September to determine if campaign materials distributed during the general election deliberately mislead voters and influenced the vote.

UK:Election expenses: five more MPs face questions, Channel 4 (2010)

Five MPs from the three main political parties are all facing questions regarding their expenses reporting. Strict limits are place on campaign spending in the UK and violation of the regulations could lead to an MP being barred by parliament.

UK:Miliband: Scots shown ‘extraordinary disrespect’ by Clegg,The Herald Scotland (2010)

Shadow foreign minister and Labour leader candidate David Milliband said the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was "disrespectful" in scheduling the electoral referendum on the same day as Scottish parliamentary elections without consultation.

UK:NI voters 'happy' with election, BBC News (2010)

A report published by the Electoral Commission that overall voters in Northern Ireland were the most satisfied with the conduct of polling in the general election, while those in England were the least satisfied. The report made recommendations to improve future elections including changing the law to allow voters who queue before 10pm to cast their vote after the 10pm poll closing time.

UK:1,200 people left unable to vote by poor planning at polling stations, The Telegraph (2010)

The Electoral Commission indicated that though the election process was generally well run in most districts that the government should make reforms to avoid problems that left 1200 people unable to vote and restore confidence in the process, among these is requiring photo identification to vote.

UK:Same-day referendum and election ‘would be difficult’, The Herald Scotland (2010)

Election officials have warned that holding the referendum on electoral reform and Scottish parliamentary elections on the same day would be difficult. Some voters could be forced to travel to two different polling stations to cast their ballots as Westminster and Holyrood constituencies are drawn along different lines.

UK:Bad times may bring good news for Labour and Plaid, says academic, Wales Online (2010)

Negative sentiment toward the governing coalition could improve outcomes for the Labour Party and Plaid Cymru in the Welsh Assembly election scheduled for next year. The article also discusses some of the candidates and the seats they will be competing for in the election.

UK:Tory MPs sign motion protesting at voting referendum date, The Guardian (2010)

More than forty Conservative MPs have demonstrated their opposition to the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's proposed referendum on electoral reform by signing a petition protesting the vote. The Tory's also want the referendum date moved as it currently clashes with other elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

UK:Funding of Northern Ireland political parties in spotlight, The Belfast Telegraph (2010)

A twelve week public consultation on whether political parties in Northern Ireland should declare donated funds has been launched. Unlike in Britain NI parties are exempt from declaring donations, but the exemption expires March.

UK: It could take 25 years to revive Scottish Tories, The Herald Scotland (2010)

This article reports on the new strategy of the Scottish Tories after the poor General Election performance. Experts believe that it will take as long as 25 years for the Tories to regain popularity in Scotland.

UK: Labour peers believe that they can block electoral reform, Wales Online (2010)

This article reports on the latest updates on the referendum to change the electoral system in the UK. The referendum is scheduled to be held on the same day as the National Assembly and Scottish Parliament elections, May 5, as stated in the coalition deal between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. The Labor Party actually opposes the electoral reform and some Tory MPs could join them to block the referendum. The referendum would introduce the Alternative Vote system.

UK: Scottish independence plan 'an election issue', BBC News (2010)

This article reports on the Scottish government's decision about the independence referendum. The government decided that a poll for the independence will not be held before 2011. Originally, the referendum was supposed to be on the 30th of November, St. Andrew's Day. The opposition Scottish Labour Party believes that it is not the right time to hold such referendum, and that the government changed its mind about it, but cannot back down (it was in their electoral programme).

UK: Electoral reform: The case for alternative vote, The Guardian (2010)

This article reports on the electoral reform debate in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the Alternative Vote system. According to the author, this will be an imperfect compromise, but a very important one.

UK: 'I didn't bottle referendum", The Herald Scotland (2010)

This article reports on the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, statements on the independence referendum. The Labour Party leader accused him of "bottling out" of holding the referendum before the next elections. Mr Salmond replied that the referendum request must get through the Parliament first, and there is no opportunity to do that now.

Nick Clegg to look at election clashes in UK and Wales, BBC News (2010)

This article reports on the discussions to move the assembly elections in the UK. As a matter of fact, the new law would introduce fixed-term five-years parliaments and every 20 years the assembly elections in Wales and Scotland would clash with the UK general elections. Deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, is discussing with MPs on this matter.

Nick Clegg pushes fixed-term parliament plan, The Independent (2010)

This article reports on a new law that would introduce fixed term for the Parliament in the UK. Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, is strongly supporting this new law, which would deprive the Prime Minister of the power to pick election dates. As a matter of fact, with the current legislation, the prime minister can ask the Queen to dissolve the Parliament at any time. On the other hand, the new law would set a fixed five-year term for the Parliament, and a fixed election date (the first Thursday in May). The new law will now be discussed in the House of Commons.

UK: Fears over voting clash, The Herald Scotland (2010)

This article reports on the discussions about the 2015 elections. In this election day, multiple elections will be held, and many fear that this will create confusion. In 2007, much confusion was created by the Scottish Parliament elections held on the same day of the local elections (using two different voting systems): as a result 140,000 were spoiled.

UK: Hand count for Holyrood election, The Herald Scotland (2010)

This article reports on the electoral authority's decision to stop using electronic counting in the elections for the Scottish Parliament. In 2011 elections, ballots will be counted by hand and voters will receive separate ballot papers for the constituency and regional votes. In the 2007 elections, citizens used three different electoral systems for the Holyrood poll and local council and this created much confusion ( and the invalidation of 150,000 ballots).

UK: Voting reform referendum will go ahead in May 2011, The Independent (2010)

This article is about the referendum on whether to ditch the first-past-the-post voting system will go ahead next May after Labour peers failed narrowly in an attempt to derail the Government's timetable.

Give prisoners the vote in six months or face severe penalties, UK warned, The Guardian (2010)

This article reports on the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the voting rights of inmates. The Court stated that the United Kingdom must allow prisoners to exercise their right to vote, otherwise the 2,500 of them who appealed to the court will be allowed to ask for compensation. The UK has three months to pass a legislation for all the 70,000 convicted prisoners before the ruling becomes final and the six-month deadline comes into force.

Peterhead prisoners refused vote ban compensation, BBC News (2010)

This article reports on the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights. The Court ruled that the United Kingdom must respect the right to vote of prisoners. The Court, however, did not award any compensation to the two inmates who appealed.

UK: Five-year parliaments will be too long, peers say, BBC News (2010)

This article discusses the British government's proposal to introduce a fixed parliamentary term. The Lords Constitution Committee concluded that the gap between the elections would be too long and this would make politicians less accountable to voters. Currently, the Prime Minister can choose the date of the next general election at any time. Since 1945, the parliament lasted an average of three years and 10 months (18 general elections).

UK: Elections clash criticised by peers, The Wales Online (2010)

This article discusses the report of the House of Lords committee on the government's plan to hold a General Election and Assembly elections on the same day. The clash will occur because of the introduction of a fixed five-year term for the parliament. The Committee stated that the Prime Minister should have consulted with the Wales Assembly and the Scottish Parliament, and stated that a four-year fixed-terms would be better option.

UK: AV voting referendum count delayed until next day, BBC News (2010)

This article reports on the upcoming referendum to change the voting system in the UK. The Parliament is currently discussing plans for the referendum to introduce the Alternative Vote. The poll would be held on May 5, and the Electoral Commission stated that the votes should be counted on May 6.

U.K. Five-Yearly Elections Would Hurt Democracy, Lawmakers Say, Bloomberg (2010)

This article reports on the conclusions of a cross-party panel of lawmakers in the House of Lords regarding the proposed electoral reform in the UK. The government's plan to introduce a five-year fixed-term for the parliament would reduce the legislators' accountability to the public and the electorate.

UK: Voting system will keep us in perpetual coalition, says IPPR, The Guardian (2011)

This article reports on a recent study released by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in the UK. The research analyzed the current first past the post electoral system and concluded that it is "broken" and "unfit" for modern elections that are no longer a contest between just two main parties. This statements will probably influence the debate for the electoral reform in the country and the May referendum on the Alternative Vote.

UK: First-past-the-post voting system 'undemocratic', warns IPPR, The Telegraph (2011)

This article discusses the results of the study recently published by the Institute of Public Policy Research on the electoral system in the UK. The study warns that future elections could see the "wrong" winner being elected and judges the First Past the Post system "undemocratic".

UK: LibDems set for heavy defeat in by-election - polls, Reuters (2011)

This article reports on the latest opinion poll in the UK. According to a recent survey, the Liberal Democratic Party will not succeed in next week's parliamentary by-election in Manchester, and if elections were held today the party would received only 11% of the votes (24% voted for the LibDem in May). The by-election was called when Labor candidate Phil Woolas was found guilty of smearing a LibDem rival and his victory was annulled by the court.

UK: Labour accused of 'playing dirty' in by-election, The Telegraph (2011)

This article reports on the by-election campaign in the United Kingdom. The competition to win the seat is very harsh, as all parties have a lot to gain, and the campaign for the 103 votes is difficult: the Labour candidate, Debbie Abrahams, has been accused by her LibDem counterpart of publishing "deliberately misleading information".

UK: Voters tick the box marked apathy, The Financial Times (2011)

This article describes the environment surrounding the by-election campaign in the UK, and denounces the widespread voter apathy. The upcoming by-election in Oldham East and Saddleworth are considered a major test for all political forces in the parliament, and yet experts predict a very low turnout (50%). The two districts are fighting 40 years of economic decline (97% of adults receive benefits in East Oldham), and local politicians are not able to respond to the people's needs.

By-election tests UK coalition resolve, The Wall Street Journal (2011)

This article discusses the major issues for the upcoming by-election in the UK. On Thursday, the coalition government will face its first major electoral test. The latest opinion polls suggest that the opposition Labour Party will likely win the seats at stake in Oldham East and Saddleworth.

UK: Election set to deal fresh blow to Lib Dems, Reuters (2011)

This article reports on the latest updates for the by-elections in the UK. The Labour party is widely expected to score a victory in the government's first election test.

UK: Oldham council places 'draconian' ban on journalists in by-election, The Telegraph (2011)

This article discusses the on journalists and photographers that was imposed during the by-election in the UK. Reporters are usually allowed to speak to candidates while reporting the counting operations, but Town Officials decided to allow them to watch the counts from a balcony. The Press Association and the BBC have both made formal complaints.

UK: Oldham East by-election: Liberal Democrats suffer as Labour holds seat, The Telegraph (2011)

This article reports on the preliminary results of the by-elections in the UK. The Labour Party apparently won the sea with 14,718 votes, and the government is already holding meeting on the possible implications of this by-election. The Liberal Democrats received 11,160 votes, while the Tory candidate only 4,481 votes.

UK: Conservatives criticise David Cameron over Oldham by-election campaign, The Telegraph (2011)

This article discusses the outcomes of the by-election in the UK. The ruling parties were defeated by the opposition Labour Party, and now the coalition (the Tories and the LibDem Party) appears to be in trouble.

UK: Gail Sheridan to stand for election, BBC News (2011)

This article reports on the latest updates for the upcoming legislative elections in Scotland. Gail Sheridan has announced her possible candidacy, and she will likely head the party that her husband - socialist Tommy Sheridan - founded. The poll will take place in May.

UK: Tories and LibDems in 2015 election pact, The Herald Scotland (2011)

This article reports on the Tory-LibDem pace that is being planned for the 2015 General Election in the UK. A recent poll revealed that the Liberal Democrats have reached their lowest level of support since 1989.

UK may be forced to give prisoners the vote in time for May elections, The Guardian (2011)

The article discusses the suffrage in the UK. In response to the European court of human rights ruling the government is suggesting to give the vote to all prisoners serving less than four years. The government has proposed that the right to vote will be restricted to parliamentary and European parliament elections only which is the minimum required by law.

Voting reform referendum will change UK politics – but will anyone notice?, The Guardian (2011)

The article discusses the coming referendum on reforming the electoral system in the UK. Voters will be asked on 6 May if they would prefer the alternative vote system to first-past-the-post but there are doubts whether the voters will be interested in the question. There hasn't been any national referendum in the UK since 1975 when the voters where asked about staying in the European Community.

The UK vote referendum: Opponents say changing system 'costly', BBC News (2011)

The article discusses the 5 May referendum on changing the voting system in the UK. The opponents of the proposed AV-system claim that changing the system would be too costly and complex. Both Yes and No cross-party campaigns are already reqruiting famous actors and politicians as supporters even though the campaignin cannot officially start until Thursday when the bill authorising the poll becomes law.

The UK: MPs reject 40% threshold plan for the AV referendum, BBC News (2011)

The article discusses the parliemsnt's decision to overturn a proposal to make the 5 May voting system referendum non-binding unless 40% of the electorate take part in the poll. The threshold was said to encourage people to stay at home.

UK: AV referendum passes, The Journal (2011)

The article discusses that the bill enabling the referendumon changing the voting system has been passed by both Houses of the Parliament in the UK.

UK: AV referendum: vote reform lobby facing funding row, The Times (2011)

The article discusses funding of referendum campaigns in the UK. "YES to AV" campaign has received a donation from Electoral Reform Society and it is now claimed that this organization could make profit of any kind of change in the electoral laws.

UK: Ad campaign to raise awareness of voting referendum, BBC News (2011)

The article describes voter education campaign in the UK before electoral system referendum in May. The Electoral Commission will send an information booklet to 28 million households explaining the differences between the current and suggested AV system.

UK: AV campaigns trade blows over conflict of interest claim, The Guardian (2011)

The article discusses referendum campaign funding in the UK. As the electoral system referendum comes closer, the "Yes" and "No" camps argue whether the Electoral Reform Society - the group funding the "Yes" campaign - stands to gain financially from a switch to AV.

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UK: Final day of election campaigning gets under way, BBC News (2011)

The article describes the campaigning for local council elections and AV referendum in the UK.

Vote 2011: UK rejects alternative vote, BBC News (2011)

The article discusses referendum results in the UK. 68 per cent of the voters supported the current way of electing MPs whereas 32 per cent supported the Alternative Vote system. The electoral system in the UK will thus not be changed.

UK: Annabel Goldie resigns after Tory election 'disaster', The Telegraph (2011)

The article reports that the Scottish Conservative Party leader Annabel Goldie has resigned after an upsetting performance in the last election. This promises to have a noticeable impact on the makeup of the Scottish Tories. Some believe that the party would have performed even worse if Goldie had not participated while others believe that, if the Tories are to fare better in the next election, the party needs the type of significant restructuring that starts with a change of leadership.

North Ireland: Vow to speed up election counting, Belfast Telegraph (2011)

The article reports a commitment made by the office of Northern Ireland to speed up vote counting for future elections. Minister Huge Swire has said that much of the delay in finalizing the vote count in the last election was caused by holding three polls at the same time.

United Kingdom: Labour slam plans to reform voting system, The Birmingham Mail (2011)

The article discusses the debates around the project of electoral reforms advanced by the Tories’ government. The Tories proposed to change the registration form from a household system where one person can fill in the forms for other people willing to get their polling card to a one person system where each individual will have to register individually. The independent Electoral Commission defends that this change in voting registration procedures will take away the right to vote to several UK citizens.

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United Kingdom: Electoral boundaries review 'mad and insane', The Northern Echo (2011)

The article discusses the different debates and problematic surrounding the reconfiguration of three North-East electoral districts.

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UK: Local elections 2012: Three main parties braced for setbacks, The Telegraph (2012)

This news article says the Conservatives are reeling from a series of political setbacks, many of which have their origins in last month’s controversial Budget, while their coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, are expected once again to pay a high price for coalition unpopularity.

Local elections: Voters set for council and mayoral polls across UK, BBC (2012)

This news article says voters go to the polls on Thursday 3 May for local elections in England, Wales and Scotland - and to elect mayors in London, Liverpool and Salford. More than 4,700 seats are up for grabs on 128 English councils, most of which were last contested in 2008. Every seat on Scotland's 32 unitary authorities is up for election and the make-up of 21 unitary authorities in Wales will also be decided.

UK can decide which prisoners vote, says European Court. BBC News, (2012)

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that individual governments may decide whether or not to allow convicted prisoners to vote. The decision, currently under scrutiny in the UK has international influence as it follows an Italian test case involving the right of an convicted murderer to vote from prison.