Stuart Weir

Stuart Weir is a political activist. He was formerly editor of the New Statesman when he launched Charter 88, and director of Democratic Audit at Essex University.

Where Foot Failed

Michael Foot, Labour's leader from 1980 to 1983, died this week. For all his personal qualities his passionate loyalty to the traditions of the Labour Party were a disaster for Britain.

By Stuart Weir

/ 6 Mar 2010

A follow-up to Ghazal Tipu's report

OurKingdom's reviews editor responds to the recent post on the sentences received by protesters against the Gaza war: Ghazal Tipu's report on the disproportionately severe treatment

By Stuart Weir

/ 4 Mar 2010

Against AV: a final response to Andy White

The conclusion of an OurKingdom conversation between Stuart Weir and the Electoral Reform Society's Andy White

By Stuart Weir

/ 20 Feb 2010

Jack's the lad

Jack Straw boasts that he could have stopped Britain taking part in the Iraq war

By Stuart Weir

/ 19 Feb 2010

The AV referendum is squalid and degrading - reply to Andy White

An OurKingdom conversation. [History: Stuart Weir > Andy White > this post > Andy White > Stuart Weir] Andy White doesn’t get it. The crux of my case against

By Stuart Weir

/ 15 Feb 2010

Brown's AV push is a foolish crusade

Brown's push for a referendum on the AV voting system is a cynical move that will set back the cause of reform.

By Stuart Weir

/ 11 Feb 2010

Is Blair unhinged?

A response to Alex Holland's analysis of Tony Blair's testimony to the Iraq Inquiry

By Stuart Weir

/ 2 Feb 2010

Staggering on

The New Statesman then and now

By Stuart Weir

/ 22 Jan 2010

Frances Morrell

An obituary of the Labour figure

By Stuart Weir

/ 19 Jan 2010

What ideas came out of the Deliberative Poll and why?

As readers of OurKingdom will know, POWER 2010 has just launched a nationwide poll to choose five proposals for democratic reform from a list of 29 items that a deliberative assembly in London short-listed last weekend.

By Stuart Weir

/ 15 Jan 2010

European Court rules against stop and search, so why are our judges so weak?

Back in 2003 the police used stronger stop and search powers from the government’s anti-terrorism laws to harass, disrupt and humiliate people protesting against an arms fair in east London. Their tactics were clearly an abuse of these powers.

By Stuart Weir

/ 14 Jan 2010

Fishkin on deliberative democracy

Fishkin, James, When the People Speak: Deliberative Democracy and Public Consultation, Oxford University Press, 2009. James Fishkin, who is masterminding POWER 2010’s deliberative assembly in London this weekend (see

By Stuart Weir

/ 9 Jan 2010