News and Comment

The latest news and commentary from the Electoral Reform Society.

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Democracy Matters: Why we need ‘A Better Referendum’

This is a guest blog by Professor Matthew Flinders. The opinions expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Electoral Reform Society.  Life, it would often appear, seems dominated...

Posted 23 May 2016

How we’re opening up the EU debate

If you think the EU referendum debate so far has been focused far too much on the personalities and internal party spats than the real issues that affect you and the country, you’re not on...

Posted 19 May 2016

4 positive changes the government have made to the Union Bill

It’s taken a lot of campaigning, but this week the government made some major concessions on the Trade Union Reform Bill – which had its Consideration of Lords’ Amendments stage in the House of Commons on Wednesday....

Posted 28 Apr 2016

Cynrychiolaeth menywod yn y Cynulliad yn crebachu

Yn gyffredinol, mae amrywiaeth mewn Seneddau ar y cynnydd ar draws y DU a’r byd. Ond mae’n bell o fod yn anochel – a mae gwneud ein sefydliadau adlewyrchu’r cyhoedd maent yn eu cynrychioli yn...

Posted 25 Apr 2016

David Torrance’s guide to the EU referendum cuts through the spin

The following is an introduction to David Torrance’s new guide to the EU referendum, which the ERS are supporting. Darren Hughes is Deputy Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society.  As the UK’s longest-standing democracy organisation,...

Posted 25 Apr 2016

A stagnating Senedd?

In general, diversity in Parliaments is on the rise across the UK and the world. But it’s by no means inevitable, or uniform – and making our often archaic institutions reflect the public they represent...

Posted 25 Apr 2016

Why the SNP are Scotland’s new predominant party

On Wednesday, ERS Scotland launched a major new report, One Party To Rule Them All: Does Scotland Have A Predominant-Party Problem?. That concept of a “predominant-party system” – popularised by the political scientist Giovanni Sartori –...

Posted 20 Apr 2016

Let’s make sure every voice is heard in Wales

There are now just a couple of weeks until the Welsh Assembly election. Parties are coming out with their policies for the next Assembly thick and fast. So we’re calling on parties to revitalise democracy in...

Posted 18 Apr 2016

Democratiaeth ac Amrwyiaeth: Creu Cymru i Bawb

Darllenwch ein maniffesto, “Democratiaeth ac Amrwyiaeth: Creu Cymru i Bawb”, yma Yn y bôn, mae democratiaeth yn ddathliad o amrywiaeth. Mae democratiaeth yn mynnu bod y dadleuon yn cael eu profi, craffu a’u gwirio, o’u...

Posted 15 Apr 2016