7. April 2026 18:00
Dr Jan Eichhorn
This event will explore what likely changes we can expect from the wide range of elections that will be held in early May across many parts of the UK. From local elections to the Parliaments in Wales and Scotland, the results are not going to just matter in their respective locations but might also determine the fate of the Prime Minister and his cabinet.
For a long time, the highly centralised political system of the UK, with so much power concentrated in Westminster, local and regional elections were very much considered second order. But after a quarter of a century of devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and increased devolution of powers to English cities and regions since 2010, local and subnational dynamics have gained much greater prominence and have the potential to reverberate beyond their respective boundaries.
May 2026 might become a moment where the echoes of the elections will be heard loudly in the corridors of power in London. Labour is set to lose control of the Government in Wales for the first time, parties of the centre might be squeezed in local elections – and in Scotland, votes shift but the SNP might nevertheless be able to plan for the start of their third decade in government.
This talk will try to help make some sense of what is going on, using fresh data from across the UK and with a special focus on Scotland and the complex situation there, ultimately asking the question what all of this will mean for the future of the UK’s politics and constitution.
The event will be held in English and will be chaired by Rupert Graf Strachwitz, Board Member of the Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft.
Please join the event by using this link: (No prior registration required!)
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81568946568?pwd=3VtQtLGg2gxF0BGUrZZNrN7Dmmhw8a.1
Dr. Jan Eichhorn is a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh and co-founder and Research Director of the Berlin-based think tank d|part. His work focuses on how people understand political and economic issues, with particular attention to the gaps between public perspectives and policymaking. Jan is a co-investigator on the Scottish Election Study and has done extensive work on public perceptions of economic and political issues in the UK (including on Scottish independence, Brexit and constitutional change). Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, his research extends also to Germany, and comparative projects across the European Union. He has advised governments, political parties, and institutions such as the European Commission, and collaborates closely with civil society organisations to support evidence-based advocacy. His work is also regularly featured in broadcast and print media.
7. April 2026 18:00
Dr Jan Eichhorn
Venue
via Zoom
This event will explore what likely changes we can expect from the wide range of elections that will be held in early May across many parts of the UK. From local elections to the Parliaments in Wales and Scotland, the results are not going to just matter in their respective locations but might also determine the fate of the Prime Minister and his cabinet.
For a long time, the highly centralised political system of the UK, with so much power concentrated in Westminster, local and regional elections were very much considered second order. But after a quarter of a century of devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and increased devolution of powers to English cities and regions since 2010, local and subnational dynamics have gained much greater prominence and have the potential to reverberate beyond their respective boundaries.
May 2026 might become a moment where the echoes of the elections will be heard loudly in the corridors of power in London. Labour is set to lose control of the Government in Wales for the first time, parties of the centre might be squeezed in local elections – and in Scotland, votes shift but the SNP might nevertheless be able to plan for the start of their third decade in government.
This talk will try to help make some sense of what is going on, using fresh data from across the UK and with a special focus on Scotland and the complex situation there, ultimately asking the question what all of this will mean for the future of the UK’s politics and constitution.
The event will be held in English and will be chaired by Rupert Graf Strachwitz, Board Member of the Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft.
Please join the event by using this link: (No prior registration required!)
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81568946568?pwd=3VtQtLGg2gxF0BGUrZZNrN7Dmmhw8a.1
Dr. Jan Eichhorn is a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh and co-founder and Research Director of the Berlin-based think tank d|part. His work focuses on how people understand political and economic issues, with particular attention to the gaps between public perspectives and policymaking. Jan is a co-investigator on the Scottish Election Study and has done extensive work on public perceptions of economic and political issues in the UK (including on Scottish independence, Brexit and constitutional change). Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, his research extends also to Germany, and comparative projects across the European Union. He has advised governments, political parties, and institutions such as the European Commission, and collaborates closely with civil society organisations to support evidence-based advocacy. His work is also regularly featured in broadcast and print media.