Why replacing the unelected House of Lords is key to the movement for fair votesFor far too many of its members, the second chamber of our Parliament is a private members’ club. The House of Lords – the UK’s revising chamber – is packed to the brim with appointees...Posted 22 Mar 2019
How hereditary aristocrats are still trying to call the shots in ParliamentOn Friday, a handful of hereditary aristocrats managed to club together to stop even the most modest of attempts to modernise the House of Lords. Lord Grocott’s bill would have ended the absurd practice of...Posted 19 Mar 2019
These three peers should not be allowed to stand in the way of democracyIn a week dominated by Brexit, it’s easy to forget that there are other topics still on the political agenda. While our MPs once again grapple over just what kind of Brexit would ‘take back...Posted 15 Mar 2019
Unelected aristocrats are still trying to call the shots in Parliament. It’s time for changeThis week the ballots dropped for the world’s most elitist election. A contest to select a new hereditary Crossbench peer to sit in the House of Lords. You’d be forgiven for thinking that elections for...Posted 12 Mar 2019
Once again, the government have ignored the consensus for Lords reform. Enough is enoughThe facts surrounding the dire state of the House of Lords are clear. It is grossly oversized – the largest legislative chamber in the world outside of China. It is wasteful: in the 2010-2015 parliament,...Posted 08 Mar 2019
House of Lords – Let’s break open this private members’ club once and for allAs I write, Lords are pouring into The Queen’s Robing Room to select a new member to join them for life. If that sounds like the bizarre initiation ceremony of a private members’ club, you’d...Posted 23 Jan 2019
Five New Year’s resolutions ministers should be signing up toIf 2018 has shown us anything, it’s that the debates over the state of our democracy are as crucial as ever. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the controversial ID trials at the local elections,...Posted 31 Dec 2018
What we learnt from the ERS Members and Supporters Conference 2018On the first weekend in December, ERS members and supporters came together for the Society’s Annual Conference and AGM. The majority of the day was made up of workshop sessions, where ERS staff led discussions on...Posted 21 Dec 2018
Our top 5 most read blogs of 2018This time of year, we take a look back on our most popular articles of the year. A lot has happened: But what were you, our dear reader, most interested in this year? Here’s our...Posted 20 Dec 2018
The Burns Report – Where Are We One Year On?Mariya Green reflects on some of the research undertaken during her placement at the ERS The report of the Lord Speaker’s Committee on the Size of the House of Lords – more commonly known as...Posted 11 Dec 2018