Closing the gap: Parliament, representation and the working class
Article
Recent political scandals in Westminster have once again put the issue of trust in politicians at the top of the agenda.
While MPs have become more representative in terms of gender, ethnicity and sexuality in recent years, there is a large and growing ‘representation gap’ on class.
This ‘class ceiling’ is not driven by discrimination against working class candidates by voters, but by a lack of supply of candidates by parties. Representation in politics matters because it has an impact on the policy decisions taken and the voting behaviour of citizens.
In this report we argue that political parties and government should take action to close the ‘representation gap’.
Related items
Strategic planning for green prosperity
Land is a finite resource, and the demands made of it have only increased over time.The new politics of AI: Why fast technological change requires bold policy targets
The upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris is an opportunity to show how we can harness artificial intelligence (AI) as a force for societal, economic, and environmental good.The homes that children deserve: Housing policy to support families
As the government seeks to develop a new child poverty strategy, it will need to grapple with housing – the single largest cost faced by families.