Darren Hughes, Chief Executive
This has been a seismic year for British politics. We have witnessed a huge change election, but also one that was the most disproportional in the history of the UK. That has thrown a spotlight onto our failing First Past the Post electoral system like never before – a system that is clearly creaking under the weight of shifting voter behaviour.
A year on from the most disproportional general election in British history, we are clearly seeing political instability and volatility continue to be amplified by our outdated electoral system. First Past the Post buckling under the new multi-party environment has become a dominant theme in our political discourse, something the ERS has been central in bolstering through its research, comms and digital work.
A key moment for this narrative was the 2025 local elections where our work highlighted that a party outside of Labour or the Conservatives, in Reform, secured the FPTP ‘winner’s bonus’ for the first time in a century. This has intensified the debate around the electoral system for Westminster, which was kicked off by our work highlighting the distorting impact FPTP had on the general election.
Meanwhile, at Westminster the work to repair the damage done to our democracy in recent years is underway as long-standing ERS priorities have begun to take shape in legislation. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is scrapping FPTP and restoring the Supplementary Vote for mayoral and PCC elections, ensuring outcomes better reflect voters’ preferences.
The government’s forthcoming Elections Bill looks to include Votes at 16, automated voter registration, fairer rules on political finance, and reforms to voter ID – all policies we have championed for years. And after decades of campaigning, the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill is finally set to end the principle of birth-right law-making in Parliament.
Across the UK, we have continued to advance the cause of fair representation and citizen participation. In Wales, ERS Cymru is leading efforts to promote awareness of major Senedd electoral reforms and the impact they could have at next year’s elections, as well as pressing for STV for future elections. In Scotland, our pioneering citizens’ assembly in Dunfermline is showing how local democracy can be deepened through genuine public participation.
The progress made on all these fronts is a testament to the hard work, passion and professionalism of the ERS staff, and I would like to put on record my thanks for their dedication and enthusiasm. Likewise, I would like to pay tribute to our board who support our work by volunteering their time, wisdom and expertise.
Our membership and supporter base have never been stronger, and the momentum for change has never been clearer. The foundation of our work is the support of the thousands of people who deeply believe in democracy and that ours can be made better. We would not be able to do what we do without their support.
Together we are demonstrating that a more equal, accountable, and participatory democracy is not just possible – it is already being built.
Lynn Henderson, Chair
As Chair, I am proud to reflect on a year when the momentum for proportional representation as well as for strengthening and renewing our democracy has gathered pace on several fronts. We are seeing the government strip back FPTP from mayoral and PCC elections, which is a deeply encouraging sign. And the work of the ERS has helped shaped the political discourse around how dysfunctional and distorting FPTP is becoming for Westminster.
The culmination of this work can be seen in the latest British Social Attitudes survey, which recorded a record 60% support for electoral reform from the public, the highest number since it started polling the question in the 1980s.
We have seen the government respond to public pressure for a fairer, more accessible democracy by pledging measures the ERS has long championed – Votes at 16, automatic voter registration, stronger rules on political finance, and an end to hereditary law-making in the Lords. These reforms show that persistent, evidence-based campaigning works.
The ERS has been deeply involved in bolstering democracy in all four corners of our nation. In Wales, our team has led the debate around Senedd reform and pushed for a move to STV. In Scotland, our work to embed citizens’ assemblies has helped demonstrate how communities can play a direct role in shaping decisions.
These achievements reflect the dedication and hard work of the ERS staff. I want to thank them – and our thousands of members and supporters – for their commitment to building a fairer politics for everyone.
Our drive for electoral reform is gathering pace and shows that together we are proving that when people demand better democracy, change follows.
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