Democracy
Paul Salveson pushes for devolution in the north of England
'Do we really want the bother of an elected president? Isn’t a Windsor a familiar and convenient alternative?'
Joseph Healy, a founder member of the Green Left, explains why he left the Green Party of England and Wales
Jenny Jones, the Green Party candidate for London mayor, speaks to Red Pepper's Tim Hunt and Michael Calderbank
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is standing candidates for the London assembly and elsewhere in the local elections on 3 May. Red Pepper spoke to Nick Wrack, a member of the TUSC national committee and number two on its slate of candidates in London
Tom Robinson talks to Richard Wilkinson, co-author of The Spirit Level, the influential book on inequality which is now being made into a documentary
Peter Apps argues that replacing the Human Rights Act with a Tory ‘British bill of rights’ would be a bad idea
As election fraud allegations spark protests across the country, Andrew Bowman reports from Russia on what he saw on polling day in one fraud hotspot
Peter Tatchell says the democratisation of the economy is the key to a fairer, more just society
James Gray looks at attempts to let the Freedom of Information Act shine a light on the royals
Andrew Blick explores the constitutional role of the monarch - and how we could ditch it
Hilary Wainwright and Kevin Blowe debate the alternative vote
We are all products of our environment, unless you believe everything is hereditary, which I suppose you do if you’re a prince
Bob Colenutt on what the Localism Bill and the Big Society will mean in practice for local democracy.
The struggle for electoral reform must be a high priority for the left, says Billy Bragg, alongside our resistance to cuts in public services
Labour's leadership debate could end up like a competition to be chief executive of an ailing company. But activists are intent on taking it somewhere more interesting. Laurie Penny and Hilary Wainwright did the round of post-election think-ins to find out more
Jim Jepps surveys the largely disappointing results for the left in an unpredictable election
When Labour won the 1997 election, Jeremy Hardy got 'joyously drunk'. But the years that followed were pretty sobering, in terms of both foreign and domestic policy, and he just can't summon up any enthusiasm about this one
David Beetham, Stuart Weir and Stuart Wilks-Heeg write down our unwritten and undemocratic constitution
The present crisis of confidence in parliament is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the system, argues Willie Sullivan, director of the new campaign Vote for a Change
Elections are meant to be an opportunity for the public collectively to judicate on competing visions of the good society, but democracy has been eroded under a system that marginalises the majority, argues Neal Lawson
It would be wise not to assume that there is a genuine 'golden opportunity' for any kind of major breakthrough on constitutional reform, writes Stuart Weir. But the door is half open to serious reform of parliament and we should not allow the chance to escape
Michael Calderbank, one of Red Pepper's new co-editors, on the need for greater democracy and accountability
The contrast between the condition of party and electoral democracy in the US and the UK is palpable, says David Beetham
{{{The global financial crisis: an historic opportunity for social transformation}}}
{An initial response from individuals, social movements and non-governmental organisations in support of a transitional programme for radical economic transformation Beijing, 15 October 2008}
Barack Obama is unique among recent Democratic presidential candidates in terms of the support he has mobilised and his relationship to his base. Win or lose, his supporters will need to stick around and organise, argues Gary Younge, as he analyses their dynamic and their role in determining Obama's prospects
Hilary Wainwright says that the pull of national and local identities away from Westminster is a vital clue to understanding and preparing for the unravelling of New Labour
If Labour is to stand any chance of resisting a long-term Tory hegemony, it is going to have to build a new progressive alliance with the Lib Dems, Greens and other smaller parties, argues Patrick Dunleavy. As a first step, it will have to move quickly to renew democratic legitimacy through constitutional and electoral reform
The legacy of the British state militates against democratic citizenship, says David Beetham. Any discussion of 'Britishness' that ignores this reality is bound to be incomplete
Davy Jones, a leading advocate of participatory budgeting, says the left needs to recognise and seize opportunities when and where they arise
The membership and influence of political parties is declining throughout the western world, and most quickly in Britain. Hilary Wainwright examines the role of the party in transformative politics and asks how the left might reimagine this crucial instrument of political change
Hilary Wainwright examines how new technology and new forms of organisation are coming together to transform the left and labour movements, political representation and democracy
Hilary Wainwright reports from Caracas on Venezuela's referendum - and the next steps towards reform
The government is promising 'devolution right to the doorstep' as a means of reinvigorating local democracy. A pilot participatory budget making project, whereby people can 'have a direct say' in how their taxes are spent, has been running in Salford. Stephen Kingston questions its democratic credentials
My first copy of Red Pepper was sold to me at a political meeting about the Afghan war in December 2001, writes Oscar Reyes
In October 2007 Red Pepper moves to a bigger, new-look bi-monthly format, at the same time as greatly expanding its web presence. Here co-editor Hilary Wainwright reviews its role in providing a platform and a voice for all those whose hopes of change in 1997 have been deflated by the Blatcherism that followed, but who still share a real sense of possibility for the future
The election results show the left's re-emergence as an electoral force, but the electoral system still gives 'middle England' disproportionate power. Jeremy Gilbert argues that we must seize this opportunity to argue for proportional representation
Dear Subcomandauntie,
I'm campaigning for a principled anti-war candidate in a marginal seat against a prominent pro-war Blairite. The contest is going to be very, very close, with just a handful of votes likely to decide the winner. However, the enemy is definitely cheating the postal vote system and fighting a very dirty campaign, and we are probably going to lose. Depressed at the thought of these "dogs of war" getting back in, I now have to engage in a little postal vote fraud myself to even up the score, but, predictably, I'm having a last-minute moral dilemma. Auntie, what should I do?
Not George Galloway
'Culture,' Norman Mailer once said, 'is worth huge, huge risks.' Billy Bragg seems prepared to take those risks, and his rhymes of resistance and years of political campaigning have established him as the doyen of British protest music. But now that the rock star and songwriter is lending his talents to a string of pro-war New Labour candidates in their election bids, he has fallen foul of several of his fans and fellow campaigners. I also reached out in search of explanation. Fearing there would be no straight answer, I wanted to hear the crooked answer.
It was the royal prerogative that gave Blair the power to send British troops to Iraq without consulting Parliament. Surely, Stuart Weir argues, its reform is long overdue
Jim Jepps analyses results for the left in June's European elections
The exploitation of terrorism as a pretext for suspending democratic rights needs to be resisted - not only for the protection of civil liberties and demonised ethnic groups, but also to defend political participation itself.
Now that the fog of war has lifted and the post-war triumphalism has proved short-lived, it is time to assess the implications of Blair's drive to war for British democracy writes David Beetham
'Red Pepper, breaking a decade; New Labour, broken and decayed,' suggested a wit in the office. But now is not the moment for narrow triumphalism (beyond celebrating the larger font size and the monthly miracle performed in getting the magazine out at all).
Almost any system is more democratic, more empowering and more representative than that used in British general elections. We need to grasp the rare opportunity to campaign for change, says David Beetham
