In various countries, the electoral behaviour of citizens who live outside their nation of origin—the diaspora—has played a key role in the success of political parties in their home countries. The research presented in this Discussion Paper looks at the idea of the party abroad and aims to explain how and to what extent national political parties engage with citizens who live outside their country. It considers the legal treatment of how political parties can operate beyond national borders and it presents various models that can be used by parties wishing to engage with their citizens abroad.

Local government needs evidence, from the apparently mundane but nonetheless critical (‘What choice of cladding will minimise the risk of fire spreading?’) to extraordinary insights (‘How do people choose what to eat and whether to be active?’, ‘What skills will today’s youngsters need in the jobs market of 2050?’). In 2014, Solace supported the initial Local Government Knowledge Navigator (LGKN) report, From Analysis to Action: Connecting Research and Local Government in an Age of Austerity, which demonstrated that: 1. Councils have a wide range of evidence needs; 2. There is relevant research and expertise in academia but local government doesn’t make the most of this; 3. There are some impressive examples of collaboration between academia and local authorities but engagement is inconsistent, and often depends on existing links between individual researchers and local government officers or politicians; and 4. There is a need for a change of culture in both communities, and the development of more systematic approaches to achieving connectivity between them.