Only real local democracy can rebuild our communitiesThe last twelve months have changed the way many of us think about our everyday lives. The lockdowns necessitated by the pandemic have made the world feel smaller and turned many people’s minds to a...Posted 09 Apr 2021
Holyrood must take forward the Citizens’ Assembly’s calls to revamp Scottish democracyPoliticians must move Scottish democracy forward by putting citizens at the centre, the ERS and 17 other leading organisations and campaigners say.Posted 18 Feb 2021
Replace Lords with a senate of the regions to help ‘level up’Overhauling Parliament’s London-dominated second chamber would help empower the UK’s nations and regions, writes a senior director at the Electoral Reform Society. It’s been a year since Boris Johnson’s victory in the 2019 general election,...Posted 22 Dec 2020
Boris Johnson might not like devolution but it’s vital for his levelling up planThis article was originally published on inews.co.uk. You could dismiss the comments as classic Boris Johnson bluster. But they vocalise what the views of too many in Westminster when it comes to the devolved nations....Posted 27 Nov 2020
Scotland’s loophole ridden lobbying laws are in need of an urgent upgradeWealth and power can get people access and influence that normal citizens can only imagine. It is, after all, why lobbying is a multi-million pound industry. That's why transparency is so vital.Posted 17 Aug 2020
Parliament must ensure proper scrutiny amid coronavirus crisisParliament’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has identified the need for sweeping changes in how Westminster operates to protect MPs and staff from the spread of the virus. The practicalities of squeezing 650 men and...Posted 19 Mar 2020
Lording it over us: Peers’ expenses free-for-all continuesIt’s a story we’ve heard too many times: unelected Lords cashing it in. This weekend, fresh revelations in the Sunday Times found that in the year to March 2019 peers claimed an average of £30,827...Posted 09 Mar 2020
England, give young people the vote like your neighboursIf you were a 16 or 17-year-old is Scotland, you probably felt quite annoyed at being left out of December’s General Election. If it had been a Scottish Parliament or Local Council Election you would have...Posted 29 Jan 2020
It will take more than moving the Lords up north to mend our broken politicsThe phrase ‘moving the deckchairs’ has never felt so apt. Over the weekend, we learnt that Boris Johnson is mulling plans to move the House of Lords permanently to York. Or maybe Birmingham. Speaking of...Posted 23 Jan 2020
Is there proportional representation in Scotland?For most of the 20th century, every election in Scotland was conducted under the First Past the Post system, from elections of MPs to local councillors. Much like in the rest of the UK, this...Posted 05 Sep 2019