Voices blog

I have only recently taken a more in-depth look at the BBC’s new-ish website, Democracy Live (it launched in November 2009), but as we approach the election it could be very useful in offering voters a greater understanding of, and accessibility to, the democratic institutions that govern the UK.

Democracy Live allows you to watch political debates live and on demand from all of the UK’s national political institutions and the European Parliament. It opens up the business of politics to everyone and the clever speech-to-text search function means that you can go straight to the point in a video which you are interested in. So if you wanted to find out what was said by a particular MP on a certain issue you don’t need to listen to the full debate you can quickly and easily find the relevant information.

The eight screen video wall on the home page allows you to see which institutions are live and there are institution guides and biographies on each elected representative.

I think this is a really useful resource with a broad appeal that goes beyond political experts and politicians and I will certainly be referring back to it.

Having recently enjoyed a visit to the Women’s Library for the first time, despite it being practically on my doorstep, I am looking forward to an event they are hosting on 29 April. Teenage Motherhood:Policy Problem or Feminist Cause? aims to create discussion around whether teenage pregnancy is a problem or whether a young woman’s right to choose motherhood is a present-day feminist cause?

Policy experts, campaigners and feminist scholars will open up the debate on the right of young people to choose to become parents.

Find out more about the talk.

The October Gallery is offering two free CPD practical seminars for teachers, educators, PGCE students and artists. The seminars are a chance to learn more about the gallery’s Participate project (teaching global citizenship through art and design) and October Gallery artists, who will be speaking at the events.

The first seminar is on the 29 April with artist George Nuku and the second is on the 6 May with artist Rosanna Raymond. You can find out more here.

The October Gallery exhibits contemporary art from all cultures of the world.

Gordon Brown has just given a speech on electoral reform. In it he declared that after citizenship education has improved, Labour would give Parliament a free vote on reducing the voting age to 16.

On 5th April the thinktank Demos argued that the voting age should be dropped to 16. Richard Reeves Demos director said that at 16 young people were old enough to work and pay tax, and as the nation prepares to face decisions with ‘profound’ consequences for young people, they too should be given the right to vote (read the full BBC report).

Summary of Gordon Brown’s speech

Speaking on People’s PMQs just now, the Prime Minister asked the British people for a mandate to undertake the most comprehensive programme of constitutional reform in this country for a century to secure the recovery, protect and reform frontline services and rebuild faith in public life.

He said a Labour government would create a new system of politics that ensures people who hold positions of authority are more accountable and truly representative.

He committed to the following:

• That MPs will be banned from working for lobbying companies;
• MPs who want to take up paid outside appointments will have to seek prior approval from an independent body to avoid jobs which conflict with their responsibilities to the public;
• Ensuring that MPs are permanently accountable to the people.

But, he stated, a new politics does not simply mean constraining the behaviour of individual MPs - it also means strengthening the power of Parliament to hold the executive to account. The British people will be given a new right to petition the House of Commons to trigger debates on issues of significant public concern. They have also supported changes to give a stronger voice to backbenchers, so in the next Parliament, select committees and their chairs will be elected by a secret ballot of MPs.

Labour’s manifesto will include a commitment to charting a course to a written constitution and fixed term Parliaments.

‘After citizenship education has improved, we will give Parliament a free vote on reducing the voting age to 16′, the Prime Minister said.

If elected he proposed a referendum next autumn to enable British people to make choices on the central questions of constitutional future by:

• Reforming the electoral system so that no MP is elected without the majority support of those who vote in their constituency;
• Ensuring British people are served by an elected House of Lords.