What can we learn from the evolution of English devolution?There has been considerable discussion about the ‘Union’ and efforts to save it in recent months, given the increasing support for nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales, and growing talk of a border poll in...Posted 09 Mar 2021
Wales’ planning for the May elections is a welcome contrast to WestminsterKey decisions on May's elections in Wales will be driven by consensus and cooperation, rather than ministerial diktat.Posted 15 Feb 2021
Finally, some clarity on England’s local electionsUK ministers have finally confirmed that local elections in England will go ahead on the 6th of May, after being delayed in 2020 due to the pandemic. Here's what we know.Posted 05 Feb 2021
What is going on with England’s May elections?This past week we’ve seen a dizzying array of conflicting reports for the government’s plans for May’s polls, with Conservative party figures suggesting delays are likely, despite official advice that plans are unchanged but ‘under...Posted 21 Jan 2021
Scotland’s local democracy is not an optional extraThe experience of the covid-19 crisis has served to underline and strengthen the case ERS Scotland has long been making for a revamped local democracy. The work undertaken in recent years – alongside a range...Posted 14 Jan 2021
Democracy delayed? Voters and officials need clarity now on England’s May electionsToby James, University of East Anglia and Alistair Clark, Newcastle University Which activities are essential during a pandemic? Across England, school buildings have been closed, as have many shops, businesses and sports facilities. So what...Posted 08 Jan 2021
Building a better democracy – 2020 and the Electoral Reform SocietyIt’s hard to think of a more troubling year in living memory. But the public health crisis has, perhaps counter-intuitively, put issues of democracy at the forefront. The election may feel like a distant memory,...Posted 07 Dec 2020
Boris Johnson might not like devolution but it’s vital for his levelling up planThis article was originally published on inews.co.uk. You could dismiss the comments as classic Boris Johnson bluster. But they vocalise what the views of too many in Westminster when it comes to the devolved nations....Posted 27 Nov 2020
Welsh Parliament to vote on letting councils scrap first past the postLocal government is one of our most important layers of representation, delivering everyday frontline services such as social care and waste collection. Yet, for many people local government doesn’t feel that representative and that’s because...Posted 17 Nov 2020
Manifesto for Democracy: Modernising Local GovernmentLocal government in Wales is all too often ‘pale, male and stale’ – uncontested seats are widespread and incumbent councillors are often favoured by the current First Past The Post system. We need electoral reform...Posted 26 Oct 2020