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

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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I am a strong supporter of electoral reform
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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Electoral Reform in Westminster

Frontrunners declaring for proportional representation crystallises the growing support in the Labour Party

June 3, 2026

We have seen a number of events in recent days that have crystallised the long build-up of momentum in the Labour Party for proportional representation. Firstly, over the weekend, Andy Burnham, who, if he wins the Makerfield by-election, is considered the frontrunner to be the next Labour leader, restated his support for scrapping First Past the Post (FPTP) for Westminster and moving to a proportional system.

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Latest Insights

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

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...

Is talk of an early general election justified by any changes seen in the polls
Electoral Reform in Westminster

August 2026 in the polls: The latest UK monthly political polling averages

September 10, 2026

August is a month of long summer holidays for both schoolchildren and parliamentarians. However, it did not feel like politics...

Most Kiwis consider the voting system a settled matter
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Questioning New Zealand’s proportional system led to questions about the prime minister’s position

August 12, 2026

New Zealand heads to the polls on November 7 and as a country with similar political traditions to the UK, it is...

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...

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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.

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...

Manchesters next mayor will need a broad coalition of support
Mayors

What is the Supplementary Vote, and why is it being used in Manchester?

June 24, 2026

On Thursday 30 July, Greater Manchester will be electing a new mayor. The by-election follows Andy Burnham’s decision to return...

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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 🇺🇸
Slovenia uses an interesting and unusual system of proportional representation
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How do elections work in Slovenia?

April 21, 2022

The process of democratisation since the collapse of communism has not been uniform across eastern Europe, but some countries, such...

Slovenia
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Slovenia had an election, but who actually won?

June 5, 2018

“Slovenian nationalist party wins parliamentary election” declares the Guardian. “Anti-immigration party wins Slovenia elections” says CNBC. “Anti-immigrant party wins divisive...

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