The next ‘Portillo Moment’? Who could be at riskThe two large Conservative majorities overturned in last week’s by-elections have led to media speculation that even frontbenchers of the Government in ‘safe seats’ are at risk of their very own ‘Portillo moment’. The phrase...Posted 25 Oct 2023
Latest by-elections reveal flaws of First Past the PostThe two UK parliamentary by-elections, held on 19 October 2023, saw some dramatic outcomes. In Mid Bedfordshire, Labour overturned the biggest majority (24,664) in any by-election since at least 1945. In Tamworth, Labour achieved its...Posted 20 Oct 2023
SNP Conference: ERS Scotland’s packed fringe event rings out for strengthening local democracyA vibrant and powerful local democracy creates the basis for building strong communities. From the pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis people have shown they are willing to devote time and care to those in need....Posted 19 Oct 2023
Democracy is major theme at Labour conferenceFollowing last year’s successful motion on proportional representation, electoral reform and improving our democracy remained some of the biggest topics of discussion at Labour conference this year. The Electoral Reform Society team organised and spoke...Posted 13 Oct 2023
Making the case for electoral reform at Conservative ConferenceAs a non-partisan organisation, we attend all the major party conferences to make the case for electoral reform. There is a long history of electoral reform supporters in the Conservative Party, with Conservative Action for...Posted 05 Oct 2023
Welcome new bill will make it easier to vote in WalesWhen it comes to democracy and elections in Wales, Bills are coming like buses! Just two weeks after the introduction of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill the Welsh Government laid it’s Elections and...Posted 05 Oct 2023
Voter ID makes its unwelcome Scottish debut in Rutherglen and Hamilton WestIf you live in Rutherglen and Hamilton West and are registered to vote, tomorrow is the day you can go vote in the long-awaited by-election. That is if you have, and remember to take, photo...Posted 04 Oct 2023
Lesley Riddoch’s State of Scottish Democracy lectureThank you to everyone who made it along to hear author and broadcaster, Lesley Riddoch, present the second of our annual ERS State of Scottish Democracy lecture. We are pleased to publish a video of...Posted 28 Sep 2023
Support for electoral reform is strong at the Liberal Democrat’s 2023 conferenceHeading to the Liberal Democrats’ 2023 conference in Bournemouth to promote electoral reform is not the hardest task I’ve been handed in my working life! Saying that, our task was more to find out if they...Posted 28 Sep 2023
Electoral Commission estimate 8 million missing from electoral rollThis week, the Electoral Commission published a report highlighting how millions of people are missing from Britain’s electoral registers. The report details how up to 8 million people are not correctly registered and are at...Posted 21 Sep 2023