Research Briefing
In brief: Belarus election and dissent
Brief summary of the election in Belarus and subsequent demonstrations
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Research Briefing
Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11: Commons Stages
This Paper summarises all Commons stages of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11. It supplements Research Paper 10/55 which was produced for the Bill’s Second Reading and replaces Standard Note 5697 'Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill: Progress of the Bill'. No major changes were made during the passage of the Bill in the Commons, but the text of the referendum question was altered and legislative provision was made for the combination of polls on 5 May 2011.
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Research Briefing
In Brief: Election in Jordan 2010
The forthcoming election in Jordan will not have a big impact on the country's political scene. Political parties are weak and the monarchy retains most of the power in the country.
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Research Briefing
The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill [Bill 63 of 2010-11]
This Paper has been prepared for the Second Reading debate in the House of Commons. The Bill seeks to enable the next general election to be fought under the Alternative Vote system, provided this change is endorsed in a referendum on 5 May 2011 and boundary changes have been made to reduce the size of the House of Commons to 600. New rules for the redistribution of seats are designed to give primacy to numerical equality in constituencies and regular redistributions would take place every five years.
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Research Briefing
Fixed-term Parliaments Bill [Bill 64 of 2010-11]
The Fixed-term Parliaments Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 22 July 2010. The proposals are part of the Coalition Agreement between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, agreed after the May 2010 General Election. The Bill fixes the date of the next General Election at 7 May 2015, and provides five year fixed-terms. There are provisions to allow the Prime Minister to alter the date by Order by up to two months. There are also two ways in which an election could be triggered before the five year term: if a motion of no confidence is passed and no alternative government is found within 14 days; or a motion for an early General Election is agreed either by at least two-thirds of the House or without division.
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Research Briefing
Local elections 2011
Elections are due on Thursday 5 May 2011 in 279 English local authorities. Elections will also be held on the same day to the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly. Scottish Council elections due in 2011 have been deferred until 2012 (and next in 2017 before returning to a 4-year cycle). In Northern Ireland, elections to the existing 26 local councils are also due to be held on 5 May 2011
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Research Briefing
Australian election 2010
A general election has been called for 21 August 2010. This note gives background, and looks at the fall of Kevin Rudd and the campaign.
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Research Briefing
By-elections 2005 – 2010
This research paper provides the results of the 14 by-elections held during the 2005-10 Parliament.
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Research Briefing
Parliamentary constituency boundaries: the Fifth Periodical Review
This note gives details of the fifth periodical review of Parliamentary constituencies.
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Research Briefing
Reducing the size of the House of Commons
The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill was introduced on 22 July 2010 and introduces new Rules for Redistribution which make provision for the number of constituencies to be reduced to 600. This note looks briefly at the current Rules for Redistribution and at recent calls for the Rules to be changed; details of the length of time it has taken to carry out periodical reviews of Parliamentary constituencies are also given. A summary of the Bill's main provisions is also included.
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Research Briefing
The Rules for the Redistribution of Seats- history and reform
This briefing is no longer being updated. It has been replaced by another Library briefing paper: Constituency boundary reviews and the number of MPs, Research Briefing 5929
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Research Briefing
Redistributing parliamentary boundaries: some international comparisons
This note describes how constituency boundaries are redrawn in a number of other countries: Canada, Australia, the USA and France. Much of the material in the note is taken from a key text on the subject, Redistributing in comparative perspective edited by Lisa Handley and Bernard Grofman.
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Research Briefing
Local elections 2010
This paper summarises the results of the local and mayoral elections held on 6 May 2010. Elections were held in all 32 London boroughs, 36 metropolitan boroughs, 20 unitary authorities, and 76 shire districts. Labour had a net gain of 17 councils, the Conservatives a net loss of seven and the Liberal Democrats a net loss of one. Four incumbent mayors were re-elected: in the London Boroughs of Hackney, Lewisham and Newham (all Labour), and in Watford (Liberal Democrat). The UK General Election was held on the same day.
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Research Briefing
Coalition statistics
Following the May 2010 elections, the UK has a coalition government for the first time in decades. This note shows that coalitions are an established form of government in western Europe and the UK.
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Research Briefing
Women in Parliament and public service
Women make up 51% of the population of the UK, but only 22% of MPs are women. This note looks at women in Parliament, Government and other areas of public life.
Total results (page 32 of 39)