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
The Representation of the People Bill moves democracy forward – but more progress is neededAt the Electoral Reform Society, we believe democracy is never a finished project. Something so hard won requires constant attention, updating and improvement if it is to remain healthy. That is particularly true at a...Posted 05 Mar 2026
Latest UK polling: As voters spread their support, our voting system can’t keep upWhere elections often used to be a two-horse race between Labour and the Conservatives, voters are now spreading their support across an increasingly crowded field – and our voting system is struggling to keep up....Posted 04 Mar 2026
Gorton and Denton intensifies debate about Westminster’s failing voting systemThe streets of Gorton and Denton will be much quieter this week after the flashmob of party activists has now departed. Last Thursday’s poll saw a historic win for the Greens and their first ever...Posted 04 Mar 2026
It’s a three-horse race! First Past the Post isn’t fit for purpose in Gorton and DentonThe Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election, scheduled for Thursday 26 February, has garnered much media attention. The outcome will be closely scrutinised by commentators for what it might mean for various political parties and leaders....Posted 25 Feb 2026
What can the Effective Number of Parties tell us about First Past the Post?Written by Thomas Worth The results of the 2024 General Election were the most disproportional in British political history. The current Labour government was elected on just 33.7% of the vote, but took 63.2% of...Posted 19 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
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
Why First Past the Post leaves most of us without voice in parliamentWe live in a country where each constituency has a single MP. Yet for most people this means the MP who “represents” them in parliament doesn’t share their politics, didn’t win a majority of the...Posted 15 Jan 2026