Government right to reverse the decision to postpone these local electionsThe fundamental principle of democracy is that people get to regularly express their view on the politicians who make decisions that affect them. So it is welcome that the government has today reversed the decision...Posted 16 Feb 2026
Westminster’s dirty secret – what lobbying in Britain looks like and how we clean it upLobbying is a word that can be used to describe all manner of sins in Westminster. It has hit the headlines again courtesy of Peter Mandelson and his relationship to convicted paedophile Epstein. But what...Posted 12 Feb 2026
Elections bill will bring in once-in-a-generation change to voting – but misses big opportunityToday sees the first reading of the Representation of the People Bill, the government’s landmark legislation reforming how elections work. This promises to make some fundamental reforms to the way we vote, as well as...Posted 12 Feb 2026
MPs form new cross-party group aimed at wholesale Lords reformThis week, MPs and peers from across the political spectrum announced plans to form a new all-party parliamentary group on ‘wholesale’ Lords reform. The trigger was the very real sight of unelected peers using obscure...Posted 10 Feb 2026
An Elections Bill is coming – but will it include fair votes?The government is bringing in new laws to improve our elections – and this is our chance to make things better. After years of broken promises and an electoral system that has consistently left millions...Posted 05 Feb 2026
How can someone be removed from the House of Lords?When peers make headlines for the wrong reasons, the same question inevitably arises: how do you actually remove someone from the House of Lords? The recent cases of Lord Mandelson and Baroness Mone have thrust...Posted 04 Feb 2026
How Sainte-Laguë could improve Scottish Parliamentary electionsScotland’s Parliament has always been better at representing the political makeup of Scotland than Westminster. A parliament where votes mattered more, where power was shared, and where the political map reflected how people actually voted....Posted 28 Jan 2026
First weekend of Dunfermline New City Assembly lays a fantastic foundationDunfermline, Scotland’s ancient capital, feels like the ideal place to explore new ways for communities to influence decisions. This weekend saw the first meeting of the Dunfermline New City Assembly — a project close to...Posted 26 Jan 2026
Local election delays: It’s unacceptable to treat voters like a bureaucratic inconvenienceElections are a crucial part of the democratic process. Citizens have the right to expect a regular opportunity to express a view about who should exercise power in their name, at all levels of government....Posted 22 Jan 2026
Business leaders make the case for electoral reformWe saw a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform last week. More than 20 business leaders, including the chairman of the Virgin Group, Peter Norris, called for Westminster to scrap the failing First...Posted 19 Jan 2026