Democracy Day: On December 5th, it’s time to break the silence on political reformFew would say with honesty that Westminster is working. So it’s time to talk about how to change it. The Electoral Reform Society – along with other democracy organisations – are calling for December 5th...Posted 02 Dec 2019
STV: a 200-year quest for fair votingThis December, the UK we will be voting in yet another general election using First Past the Post – a system where one party can gain an overall majority of seats with only 35% to...Posted 27 Nov 2019
We should be scrutinising candidates and policies. Instead the talk is of tactics and pactsJudging by the first week of the general election campaign, it seems likely that the remaining month will see a lot of focus on ‘tactical’ issues. We’ve already seen electoral pacts, or parties standing down...Posted 13 Nov 2019
What is tactical voting and why is it bad for democracy?In a Westminster election, tactical voting takes place when a voter chooses a candidate whom they wouldn’t normally support, in order to prevent another candidate from winning. For example, if you want to vote for...Posted 12 Nov 2019
Policies for a fairer politics: How we can fix a broken systemThis election, the political system is more distrusted by voters than it has been for years. It’s not hard to see why. The sense that people do not feel ‘heard’ is growing: an ERS poll...Posted 08 Nov 2019
What is a hung parliament?Across the country, a total of 650 Members of Parliament are elected to the Commons, with one per constituency. Under Westminster’s first past the post electoral system each MP doesn’t need to be supported by...Posted 06 Nov 2019
Three issues that need tackling this General ElectionLet’s use this election as a chance to re-build democracy on stronger and fairer foundations As the UK prepares for its next general election in December, it is important to revise what needs to be...Posted 05 Nov 2019
Where is proportional representation used in the UK?Westminster’s voting system is well and truly broken. The system with which we elect our MPs is struggling to produce fair and representative results. The 2017 General Election showed that, for the third time in a...Posted 05 Nov 2019
Canada’s election: Last call for First Past the Post?It looks like Justin Trudeau has narrowly secured his second term as Canada’s Prime Minister. But his party lost out on a majority of seats as well as the popular vote. It was a tough...Posted 23 Oct 2019
Meet the new ERS CouncilAfter a well-contested election, the Electoral Reform Society have a new Council to govern the Society for the next two years. Nearly 850 members took part, with 50 candidates standing for the 12 seats available....Posted 22 Oct 2019