The electoral reform Portugal needsNearly fifty years after the transition to democracy, Portugal’s electoral system for its national parliament (the Assembleia da República) has changed very little.Posted 23 Mar 2026
We were asked to address MPs on the Representation of the People Bill committeeThis week MPs sitting on the Representation of the People Bill committee took evidence before the bill starts committee stage – the line-by-line examination of the legislation. Expert witnesses are called to give evidence at...Posted 19 Mar 2026
Is it possible to opt out of political leaflets through the letterbox?Written by Thomas Worth In the months leading up to elections, voters are often inundated with all sorts of literature from political parties and candidates. From leaflets to surveys, or even sudoku puzzles, political parties...Posted 19 Mar 2026
Early voting trials offer a promising addition to our democracyWritten by Thomas Worth While the focus has been on the 30 councils who saw their elections delayed and then undelayed at short notice, it might be easy to miss some of the positive changes...Posted 12 Mar 2026
The end of the Hereditary Peerage: A long campaign and an important victoryWe saw a big victory last night as the bill to remove the last hereditary peers from the House of Lords finally passed. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill means the remaining 84 hereditary...Posted 11 Mar 2026
Hereditary peer ‘back door’ compromise risks undermining manifesto promiseIt seems the legislative game of hide and seek around the bill to remove the hereditary peers from the Lords is over and it is now entering its endgame. We highlighted recently that things had...Posted 09 Mar 2026
The Representation of the People Bill moves democracy forward – but more progress is neededAt the Electoral Reform Society, we believe democracy is never a finished project. Something so hard won requires constant attention, updating and improvement if it is to remain healthy. That is particularly true at a...Posted 05 Mar 2026
Big win as government commits to restoring independence of Electoral CommissionWe just saw a significant victory when it comes to ensuring the independence of our elections watchdog. It came during the second reading of the Representation of the People Bill on Monday, which is the...Posted 04 Mar 2026
Latest UK polling: As voters spread their support, our voting system can’t keep upWhere elections often used to be a two-horse race between Labour and the Conservatives, voters are now spreading their support across an increasingly crowded field – and our voting system is struggling to keep up....Posted 04 Mar 2026
Gorton and Denton intensifies debate about Westminster’s failing voting systemThe streets of Gorton and Denton will be much quieter this week after the flashmob of party activists has now departed. Last Thursday’s poll saw a historic win for the Greens and their first ever...Posted 04 Mar 2026