Articles and Insights

Accessible commentary and insights from the Electoral Reform Society, on the issues shaping our democracy.

Featured Articles Latest Insights Polling & Public Opinion The Basics of First Past the Post Speaking up for Voters How our Country Works Global Perspectives

Featured Articles

The main stories selected by the Electoral Reform Society's team.

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Prime Minister announces manifesto pledge and historic National Commission at Labour Conference

September 29, 2026

Today, in his first conference speech as Prime Minister, I saw Andy Burnham commit his party to changing the way we elect MPs. It is hard to overstate how significant that is.

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We will contest the next election with a manifesto commitment to change the electoral system
Electoral Reform in Westminster

In Andy Burnham we have the first prime minister who openly backs proportional representation

July 20, 2026

Andy Burnham’s rise to Downing Street means that for the first time in modern history we have a prime minister who is openly committed to proportional representation. In recent years the new Labour leader has become one of the most passionate advocates for reforming Westminster’s electoral system.

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Electoral Reform in Westminster

What has Andy Burnham said about the voting system?

June 25, 2026

Westminster has, once again, been engulfed in high theatre. The Prime Minister stood aside on Monday announcing a two-week departure timetable.

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Electoral Reform in Westminster

Keir Starmer’s resignation is the latest product of the chaos of First Past the Post

June 22, 2026

Today Keir Starmer announced he will be resigning as Prime Minister. It is hard to overstate how remarkable that is.

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Latest Insights

The latest articles and insights from the Electoral Reform Society's team.

Both Labour and Conservative vote shares are below what they achieved in 2024
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How did the political parties do in October’s polls?

November 9, 2026

Andy Burnham’s Labour government ticked off another set-piece event during October, the Budget delivered by the new Chancellor, John Healey....

Everyone is in favour of it on paper, yet somehow it never becomes a proposal.
House of Lords

The youngest peer has pushed for the public to have say on whether chamber should stay unelected

October 29, 2026

The debate on how to reform the House of Lords has gone on for many generations. It began before this,...

The Israeli system is very rare among the proportional systems used around the world
Electoral Reform in Westminster

The Israeli electoral system is not representative of proportional pepresentation

October 22, 2026

On 27 October 2026, Israelis will go to the polls to elect the 120 members of their parliament, the Knesset....

CAER fringe 2026
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Former Conservative Mayor Andy Street urges party to embrace electoral reform

October 15, 2026

Andy Street, the Conservative former mayor of the West Midlands, urged his party to embrace electoral reform to help it...

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Polling & Public Opinion

Analysis of the latest polling from the Electoral Reform Society's research department.

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The Basics of First Past the Post

Discover how we are let down by the way we elect MPs to Westminster.

The majority of people are represented by an MP they didnt want
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Why First Past the Post leaves most of us without voice in parliament

January 15, 2026

We live in a country where each constituency has a single MP. Yet for most people this means the MP...

Why reach out when you can win a majority on just 30 percent of the vote
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How First Past the Post turns politics into tribal warfare

December 10, 2025

Poll after poll and headline after headline in the U.K may leave you with the impression of a country more...

First Past the Post doesn’t care how narrow or extreme a party’s agendas is
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How First Past the Post lets people with fringe views slip through the net

November 13, 2025

Britain’s First Past the Post system was designed for a two-party age. One that pretty much everyone agrees we no...

The real fights aren’t across the floor of the Commons but inside the ruling party itself
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Why single-party governments under First Past the Post fail to get things done

October 29, 2025

For all the talk of “strong government,” the reality of single-party rule under First Past the Post (FPTP) often looks...

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Speaking up for Voters

Read the latest articles from the Electoral Reform Society's spokespeople

Darren Hughes

Chief Executive

Jessica Garland

Director of Policy and Research

Jessica Blair

ERS Cymru Director

Willie Sullivan

Senior Director, Campaigns and Scotland

How Our Country Works

Discover how power functions in the UK.

An independent process with expert advice and voters’ views
Citizens' Assemblies

What is a National Commission on Electoral Reform?

October 7, 2026

The Prime Minister made history last week announcing that he intends to fight the next election with a manifesto commitment...

To create a change that lasts, the process needs to be trusted
Electoral Reform in Westminster

What does an independent commission on electoral reform need to succeed?

August 6, 2026

The idea of an independent commission on electoral reform has been gaining traction lately, with nearly 200 MPs calling for...

The global ultra-rich can effectively buy political parties outright
Money in Politics

What political finance changes are coming in?

July 29, 2026

Back in 2015 we published Deal or No Deal which looked at public attitudes to political finance following the failed...

Electoral Reform in Westminster

The problem with tactical voting in Britain’s multi-party politics

July 15, 2026

At election time, millions of us arrive at the polling station in a conflicted state of mind – do I...

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Global Perspectives

Discover how countries around the world run their elections.

All 🌍 Australia 🇦🇺 Austria 🇦🇹 Belgium 🇧🇪 Brazil 🇧🇷 Canada 🇨🇦 Denmark 🇩🇰 Estonia 🇪🇪 Fiji 🇫🇯 Finland 🇫🇮 France 🇫🇷 Germany 🇩🇪 Greece 🇬🇷 Guernsey 🇬🇬 Hungary 🇭🇺 India 🇮🇳 Ireland 🇮🇪 Italy 🇮🇹 Jamaica 🇯🇲 Japan 🇯🇵 Jersey 🇯🇪 Latvia 🇱🇻 Lebanon 🇱🇧 Malta 🇲🇹 Netherlands 🇳🇱 New Zealand 🇳🇿 North Korea 🇰🇵 Norway 🇳🇴 Poland 🇵🇱 Portugal 🇵🇹 Romania 🇷🇴 Slovenia 🇸🇮 South Africa 🇿🇦 Sweden 🇸🇪 Switzerland 🇨🇭 Turkey 🇹🇷 United States of America 🇺🇸
Elections aren't a horse race, where all that matters is who crosses the line first
Electoral Reform in Westminster

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, First Past the Post would have turned a slight lead into a huge majority for the AFD

September 28, 2026

Germany is made up of 16 federal states, each with a slightly different version of proportional representation – making it...

First Past the Post means a party doesn’t need to win a majority of votes to rule alone
Electoral Reform in Westminster

First Past the Post would have given the AfD nearly every seat in Saxony-Anhalt

September 10, 2026

There has been much coverage in recent days of the outcome of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, which lies in...

There is no denying that Germany’s system has done a better job of reflecting the wishes of voters than the FPTP system
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Exploring the proportional outcome of Germany’s 2025 Federal election

February 24, 2025

With around 84.5 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous country in western Europe. A German Federal election, where representatives...

Elections in the German states are hugely important
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How do elections work in the German States?

May 9, 2022

Fresh off the heels of voters in Germany’s northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein, this Sunday 15th May it is North-Rhine Westphalia’s...

other countries have powerful regional representatives, Britain remains the odd-one-out
House of Lords

How are the members of upper houses chosen around the world?

January 27, 2022

Many countries use a bicameral political system – meaning that they have two chambers in their parliament. These parliaments are...

There are many ways party leaders and prime ministers are chosen across Europe
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How are Prime Ministers chosen around the world?

January 19, 2022

With pressure mounting on Boris Johnson, it’s looking increasingly possible that Britain could well soon have a new Prime Minister....

2022 is a big year for presidential elections in Europe
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How are Presidents elected around Europe?

January 5, 2022

2022 is a big year for presidential elections in Europe – with the Italian, German and French presidencies all open...

This election marks the fifth change in Germany’s head of government in the last 50 years
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Germany’s 2021 election: How Germans vote

September 23, 2021

This Sunday (26th March), Germany goes to the polls to elect its national parliament – the Bundestag. With Angela Merkel...

Polling Station
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Barriers to entry: How do electoral thresholds work?

September 3, 2021

A common feature of many Party List PR systems is an electoral threshold – a pre-set bar that parties have...

Which countries in Europe use PR_
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Which European countries use proportional representation?

December 26, 2018

Of the 43 countries most often considered to be within Europe, 40 use some form of proportional representation to elect...

Proportionality and fairness makes this an improvement on Westminster
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How does proportional representation work in Germany?

December 18, 2018

[Note: Germany updated their voting system for the 2025 election, and introduced new rules. You can find out about that...

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