2024 General Election – Our in-depth analysis and what’s happening a year later
Our General Election 2024 report, A System Out of Step: The 2024 General Election, launched in December last year, highlighted the way our political landscape is rapidly changing, creating increasingly distorted and disproportional electoral results. This year we have continued to analyse and draw attention to the way multi-party politics are straining against FPTP in the UK. The English local elections this year were yet another example of increasing volatility and fragmentation making the case for fair votes ever stronger.
Government Confirms Historic Democratic Reforms
The government published their strategy for modernising elections in summer featuring many of the policy changes that ERS has long campaigned for. The changes, expected to come forward in an Elections Bill soon, include Votes at 16, changes to voter ID, improvements to voter registration and political finance reforms.
We have long been campaigning for these changes – by expanding participation, improving transparency, and strengthening oversight, the government can help ensure that our elections are fair, inclusive, and fit for the 21st century.
These changes have been a long time coming but we are thrilled to finally see this work being taken forward, which will go a long way to improving access and engagement.
Voters are Getting their Second Choice back in Mayoral and PCC elections
In July, the government announced that the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill will legislate for a return to using the Supplementary Vote for Mayoral and PCC elections. Now, voters will once again be able to express a second choice. That means more meaningful choice at the ballot box – and mayors who are elected with broad support from the community they govern.
This is an important change that we had been pressing the government on and another important win for the Society.
Quarter of a Million Voices Calling for a Democratic Second Chamber
This year we hit a major campaigning milestone – over 250,000 people have added their name to our call to reform the House of Lords!
This is a clear message that the public is fed up with an unelected, unaccountable second chamber making decisions about their lives. In a 21st-century democracy, power should never be handed down or given away. It should be earned, through the ballot box.
If you haven’t signed yet, now is your chance to be part of a growing movement. With every new signature we strengthen our case for change.