An inconvenient truth – It’s time for more Assembly MembersJess Blair says the case for a larger Assembly has to be made beyond Cardiff Bay to the people it will impact. Having more Assembly Members isn’t necessarily on anyone’s Christmas list, but it should...Posted 06 Nov 2017
A chance to do Welsh local elections differentlyWhile the Wales Act’s passing earlier this year didn’t come without its challenges, the legislation does mean that a range of new powers will soon be devolved to Wales, including those over elections. This ultimately...Posted 11 Oct 2017
Wales tears down barriers to democracy as England fortifies themLast week Wales has shown just what devolution can do: allow new ways of doing democracy. On Tuesday the Welsh government launched a consultation that has the potential to be a game-changer when it comes...Posted 27 Jul 2017
Where are the women in May’s local election?Since the Prime Minister’s unexpected announcement of a General Election last week there’s been little time to talk of anything else. Our 24 hour news cycle is now dominated by images of May, Corbyn et...Posted 27 Apr 2017
A month before polling day, nearly 100 candidates in Wales have already wonVoting is an essential part of democratic life – from Mayoral contests to Westminster elections. Yet in an alarming number of places next month, voters in Wales will be denied a vote. That’s not because...Posted 11 Apr 2017
We’ll need more AMs to deal with BrexitIf there was a ‘word cloud’ of popular news topics over the last twelve months then ‘Brexit’ would be front, centre and in bold. Since last June’s referendum the topic has dominated headlines, been the...Posted 27 Mar 2017
An exciting time to join ERS CymruAs she joins us as the new Director of ERS Cymru, Jess Blair sets out the challenges and opportunities for deepening Welsh democracy. In the last twelve months the political landscape across the world has...Posted 14 Mar 2017