The difference between proportional and preferential voting systems – and why it mattersWhen is an electoral reform not proportional? That question matters because support for scrapping First Past the Post is growing, yet not every alternative would solve Westminster’s central democratic problem: Parliaments that don’t reflect how...Posted 11 Jun 2026
Polling Breakdown: What did the UK polls say in May 2026?At the start of May, many eyes were looking towards the elections taking place across large areas of England, as well as in Scotland and Wales, for a sense of what it meant for party...Posted 04 Jun 2026
Frontrunners declaring for proportional representation crystallises the growing support in the Labour PartyWe 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...Posted 03 Jun 2026
How would each party have done if May’s elections were across all of Britain?The elections held across the UK on 7 May 2026 produced a series of dramatic outcomes, and the political ramifications of those results are still playing out. Different areas of Britain vote differently, and each...Posted 18 May 2026
CWU votes to support PR: four of ‘big five’ Labour-affiliated unions now back electoral reformAmid all the political drama over the weekend, with the fallout from the elections and then calls on the Prime Minister to resign, there was also a significant development in the campaign for proportional representation....Posted 12 May 2026
What did the UK polls say in April 2026?While polling can give us an idea of what the public thinks, there is nothing like real votes to test the mood of the country. With elections across large areas of England, plus Scotland and...Posted 06 May 2026
Polling breakdown from March 2026: Latest polls see continued fragmentationSince February 2025, we at the Electoral Reform Society have been collecting data on UK general election voting intention polls published by British Polling Council (BPC) members. The year since has seen the continuation of...Posted 02 Apr 2026
Former Prime Minister John Major questions the ‘validity’ of First Past the PostThere has been a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform recently, in the guise of former Prime Minister John Major. The Conservative politician has questioned the “validity” of the First Past the Post...Posted 01 Apr 2026
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