Former Prime Minister John Major questions the ‘validity’ of First Past the PostThere has been a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform recently, in the guise of former Prime Minister John Major. The Conservative politician has questioned the “validity” of the First Past the Post...Posted 01 Apr 2026
The end of the Hereditary Peerage: A long campaign and an important victoryWe saw a big victory last night as the bill to remove the last hereditary peers from the House of Lords finally passed. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill means the remaining 84 hereditary...Posted 11 Mar 2026
Hereditary peer ‘back door’ compromise risks undermining manifesto promiseIt seems the legislative game of hide and seek around the bill to remove the hereditary peers from the Lords is over and it is now entering its endgame. We highlighted recently that things had...Posted 09 Mar 2026
Big win as government commits to restoring independence of Electoral CommissionWe just saw a significant victory when it comes to ensuring the independence of our elections watchdog. It came during the second reading of the Representation of the People Bill on Monday, which is the...Posted 04 Mar 2026
Gorton and Denton intensifies debate about Westminster’s failing voting systemThe streets of Gorton and Denton will be much quieter this week after the flashmob of party activists has now departed. Last Thursday’s poll saw a historic win for the Greens and their first ever...Posted 04 Mar 2026
Missing, in-action: What happened to the bill to remove the Hereditary Peers?It is not often we get to indulge in the mystery genre here at the ERS; however, this blog will delve into the curious incident of the missing Hereditary Peers bill. The bill, a straightforward...Posted 25 Feb 2026
Business leaders make the case for electoral reformWe saw a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform last week. More than 20 business leaders, including the chairman of the Virgin Group, Peter Norris, called for Westminster to scrap the failing First...Posted 19 Jan 2026
Legislative battles are renewing the focus on Westminster’s unelected upper chamberA common argument from defenders of the unelected Lords is that ministers should dedicate the entirety of their time to bread and butter policies that more immediately impact voters. The implicit basis here is that...Posted 04 Dec 2025
Conservatives mull path back to power at Manchester conference – and the electoral systemThere was a notable shift in mood at the Conservative conference this year compared to recent ones. Until last year, the party had been in government and its conferences focused on the leaders’ speeches, while...Posted 20 Oct 2025
Electoral reform takes centre stage at Labour Party conferenceElectoral reform took centre stage, literally, at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this year. Andy Burnham was the lead speaker at the rally calling for reform of Westminster’s voting system, hosted by colleagues in...Posted 15 Oct 2025