TV Debates have become an important part of our elections, let’s do them rightThe first election debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer will be on our TV screens tonight, at 9pm on ITV. We’ve already seen a debate between party leaders in Scotland (none of whom are...Posted 04 Jun 2024
Over 100 seats haven’t changed hands for 100 years or moreWe often hear that politics is unpredictable, that anything can happen in the upcoming election – but the reality is that hundreds of seats across the country haven’t changed hands in decades. While the MP...Posted 03 Jun 2024
Could this be the last general election that excludes 16 and 17 year olds?At the Electoral Reform Society, we have long been advocates of extending the right to vote to 16 and 17-year-olds in general elections. So, we were pleased to see that, when asked on the campaign...Posted 29 May 2024
Imposing First Past the Post on these roles was a mistakeThe recent mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections took place under a First Past the Post (FPTP) system, where people are able to put just one ‘X’ on their ballot – choosing only one...Posted 15 May 2024
First Past the Post means 100,000 Welsh voters were denied a say in the last local electionsLocal elections are an important part of democracy in Wales. But did you know that thousands of voters have a councillor that nobody voted for at all? Due to the Westminster-style First Past the Post...Posted 15 May 2024
Senedd expansion is a pivotal moment for devolutionSomething historic happened yesterday, something good. What happened in the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) was the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill passed and did so with over 2/3rds of the chamber voting in favour. News...Posted 09 May 2024
Four steps to protect our elections from AI interferenceI recently co-signed a letter with a host of leading third-sector organisations, as well as consumer champion Martin Lewis and Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales, calling on political parties to agree a set of guidelines and...Posted 09 May 2024
Local elections: A third of the vote shouldn’t make a mayorThe local and mayoral elections saw the corrosive impact First Past the Post is having on our democracy writ large. Not only did we witness its continued distorting effect on local council elections, with a...Posted 08 May 2024
What happens when the Lords defeat the Government?The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, allowing deportations to Rwanda for certain migrants who arrive in the UK via illegal routes, completed its passage through Parliament overnight on Monday 22 April, and gained...Posted 08 May 2024
England’s local elections show the warped world of First Past the PostLocal people are best placed to decide the priorities of their local government. But as we say today, voters in England and Wales have very little impact on who sits in their local council chambers....Posted 03 May 2024