News and Comment

The latest news and commentary from the Electoral Reform Society.

Around the World | Current Affairs Commentary | Developments at the ERS | Your Questions Answered | Case Studies

How popular is power-sharing?

Yesterday the views of Brits were unveiled to the world. And in some ways, they make for some startling reading. The British Social Attitudes Survey – a renowned national study of voters’ opinions – was...

Posted 30 Mar 2015

Working together

What is the best way for parties to share power? How can you make minority government work? And how do you negotiate a successful coalition? These are some of the questions likely to be at the forefront...

Posted 23 Mar 2015

A sectarian voting system

The announcement by the two main unionist parties in Northern Ireland that they have entered into an electoral pact for the up-coming general election highlights a major problem with our electoral system. The idea that parties step...

Posted 20 Mar 2015

Shifting boundaries

With the General Election now just weeks away, and speculation about possible coalition arrangements taking centre stage, it would be easy to overlook a very important and immediate legislative priority that the new government, whatever...

Posted 16 Mar 2015

Deal or no deal

The public are sick to death of party funding scandals. Over the last two weeks we have been exposed to yet more findings about the suspect dealings of party donors. It brings our democracy into...

Posted 19 Feb 2015

When NOTA wins

This is a guest post by ERS member and NOTA UK researcher Rohin Vadera. The views, opinions and positions expressed within are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent those of the Electoral Reform...

Posted 16 Feb 2015

#MergerHeWrote: Steve Reed MP on Sharing Power With Citizens

Our second article in the Merger He Wrote series is from guest writer Steve Reed.  Steve is Labour MP for Croydon North, UK Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention, and Hon. President of the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network. ...

Posted 11 Feb 2015

Pick your numbers

At every election, it seems, we are told that the poll is ‘historic’, that it is the ‘most important in a generation’ because the country is ‘at the crossroads’. What makes 2015 a contender for...

Posted 09 Feb 2015

lottery balls

Registering to Vote – What You Need to Know

Our intrepid Scotland Campaigns and Research Officer Juliet Swann outlines what the new Individual Electoral Registration system means for you. Last year a law was passed that changed how we register to vote in the...

Posted 05 Feb 2015