The movement for an overhaul of Britain’s broken constitution is growing On Sunday, former Brexit Secretary David Davis wrote an important piece in the Times arguing that ‘Brexit is the writing on the wall for our democracy’. He points out that recent constitutional chaos has shown... Posted 10 Oct 2019
There’s a glaring threat facing the next General Election: the ‘missing millions’ You don’t have to opt in to your right to free speech. So why do we have to opt in to our right to vote? Voting is a basic right. While not enough on its... Posted 07 Oct 2019
A tale of two local by-elections: how STV produces fairer outcomes On Thursday 3rd October, as on most Thursdays, several local authority by-elections took place throughout Britain. These by-elections occur when a vacancy arises due to a local councillor resigning or passing away. Two of Thursday’s... Posted 04 Oct 2019
London mayoral race: Will Rory Stewart’s candidacy ‘split’ the Conservative vote? If there is one thing you can predict about politics these days, it’s that you can’t predict anything. In the space of a few months, Rory Stewart has gone from running for leadership of the... Posted 04 Oct 2019
The current crisis has been a long time coming – and Westminster’s system is behind it It’s easy right now to get caught up in the daily drama of politics – to focus on individuals, and the game playing, and to forget that the current political chaos is all part of... Posted 24 Sep 2019
How do elections work in Japan? For the next six weeks the eyes of the world will be fixed on Japan. Ok, probably not all the eyes just the ones that enjoy watching rugby. This week marks the beginning of the... Posted 19 Sep 2019
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
ERS in the Press – August 2019 August saw talk of a constitutional crisis come to the fore – and it was a long time coming. The confusion is what happens when a centralised Westminster system and winner-takes-all mentality clashes with the... Posted 03 Sep 2019
Another election under Westminster’s broken voting system is unlikely to get us out of this crisis Back in May, our Westminster Beyond Brexit report raised a prescient question: “Do we want a democracy that gives the power of an absolute monarch to one party, or a government which is representative and... Posted 03 Sep 2019
‘Democracy denied’ as report reveals how voters are left voiceless across England ERS Research Officer Ian Simpson introduces his new report: Democracy Denied: The 2019 Election Audit If two party politics isn’t dead, it has certainly taken a big hit over the first half of 2019. The... Posted 22 Aug 2019