We must end the link between safe seats and second jobs The most revealing type of political scandal is not the one where rules have been broken, but the ones where they haven’t. Where crisis has erupted over conduct that sits very comfortable within current parliamentary... Posted 26 Nov 2021
COP26 shows we need to democratise to decarbonise In the run up to the COP26 climate change conference, a coalition of leading democracy organisations joined together on a campaign to put strong democracy at the heart of any response. The campaign’s message was... Posted 26 Nov 2021
What is the ideal number of MPs per constituency in proportional representation? When choosing a proportional voting system, one of the most important decisions is the number of MPs each constituency elects – its ‘district magnitude. Posted 26 Nov 2021
Labour and Plaid Cymru deal is a big step forward for Wales’ democracy This week saw a historic moment in Wales. Standing on the steps of the Senedd on Monday afternoon, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price announced The Co-operation Agreement, setting out... Posted 23 Nov 2021
Hefty majorities become hefty bank balances with MPs’ outside jobs As the second jobs scandal engulfs Westminster, the same line keeps being rolled out by government figures: If voters didn’t like their MPs pocketing sizeable sums from second jobs, they wouldn’t keep re-electing them. Posted 15 Nov 2021
What’s the difference between open and closed list proportional representation? When discussing proportional voting systems, or voting systems in general, we usually talk about how they allocate seats to political parties. But parliaments are more than parties and it also matters how they decide which... Posted 15 Nov 2021
The aristocratic by-elections continue to make a mockery out of our democracy On the 9th and 10th November, the House of Lords will be hosting their fifth hereditary peer by-election this year. The House of Lords Act 1999 led to the removal of all but 90 hereditary... Posted 08 Nov 2021
Labour’s Mark Drakeford calls for “radical reform” of the electoral system Mark Drakeford has thrown his support behind changes to how MPs are elected calling for ‘radical reform’ of Westminster’s electoral system. The First Minister of Wales made the remarks at the 2021 Aneurin Bevan Memorial... Posted 28 Oct 2021
Was there a referendum on proportional representation? Whenever a conversation online comes to proportional representation, you can set your watch by the appearance of someone claiming that ‘we had a referendum on that!’. Advocates of the way things are in Westminster argue... Posted 28 Oct 2021
Unite’s vote to oppose First Past the Post is an important shift in campaign for fair votes Unite members have voted to oppose Westminster’s First Past the Post electoral system, pledging support for moves towards a new voting system in UK elections. “Today, Unite Policy Conference voted to support Proportional Representation in Westminster elections for... Posted 22 Oct 2021