2023 at the ERS: Our major milestones and achievementsEach year we write an Annual Report which looks back at our achievements across the last 12 months, and explains how our team have campaigned towards securing our vision for a democracy fit for the...Posted 25 Nov 2023
Voters prefer decisions made by panels balanced between men and womenMen still dominate political decision-making in the United Kingdom. Women hold just one or two seats on prestigious select committees in the House of Commons, like Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Justice. No women sit on...Posted 21 Nov 2023
Wales is leading the way as registering to vote is set to get easierThe age-old adage about waiting for a bus and two turning up at once seemed particularly appropriate last week as we gave evidence on the Elections and Elected Bodies Bill to a Senedd Committee. This...Posted 20 Nov 2023
One year to win local proportional representation in WalesA year from today, November 15, 2024, is the last day before the next election where your councillors can decide to bring local democracy into the 21st century. I am talking about how councillors are...Posted 15 Nov 2023
We gave evidence to MSs on a new Bill to reform the Senedd – here’s what we saidIn September a new piece of legislation was introduced into the Senedd, which looks set to change how the Welsh Parliament looks and works. The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill, if passed, will see...Posted 10 Nov 2023
Why independent candidates win with the Single Transferable VoteCurrently, there are 14 independent MPs in the House of Commons, which might seem to suggest Independent candidates can win under First-Past-The-Post (FPTP). But these MPs are only independent because they were suspended from their...Posted 01 Nov 2023
Welcome new bill will make it easier to vote in WalesWhen it comes to democracy and elections in Wales, Bills are coming like buses! Just two weeks after the introduction of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill the Welsh Government laid it’s Elections and...Posted 05 Oct 2023
Welsh Government introduce Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) BillNext year the Senedd will mark a quarter of a century since its establishment. For many of those 25 years it has been apparent that the Senedd is too small. At just 60 members the...Posted 18 Sep 2023
Welsh Government to introduce progressive electoral reformsLast week in the Senedd, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the Welsh Government’s plans for legislation for the next year. This covered eight new bills which the government hopes will become law. There was a...Posted 06 Jul 2023
What elections should the next government reform?Last week we published a blog on UK electoral reforms since 1997 and highlighted that whilst at Westminster the fight for electoral reform continues, the progress of reform across the UK increased and voters are...Posted 08 Mar 2023