Manifesto for Democracy: Education for the futureEducation is key to ensuring that newly enfranchised voters understand the system they can now have a voice in. That 16 and 17 year olds in Wales can now vote in Senedd elections offers us...Posted 29 Oct 2020
Manifesto for Democracy: Modernising Local GovernmentLocal government in Wales is all too often ‘pale, male and stale’ – uncontested seats are widespread and incumbent councillors are often favoured by the current First Past The Post system. We need electoral reform...Posted 26 Oct 2020
Manifesto for democracy: A Stronger SeneddThe Senedd looks very different to when it was first conceived in 1999. Ongoing devolution has meant more powers are held in Cardiff Bay – including primary law-making powers and tax-varying powers that create a...Posted 23 Oct 2020
ERS Cymru’s 2021 Manifesto for DemocracyIn just over six short months voters in Wales will head to the polls for the Senedd elections. This election will be different in many ways, with many alternative measures expected to be in place...Posted 22 Oct 2020
Westminster could learn a lot from the Australian Capital Territory Could Australia’s capital show the rest of Australia and Westminster how to be fairer and more representative?Posted 21 Oct 2020
Tackling online harms to our democracy must be a priority Last week, the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee criticised the government for its repeated delays in publishing legislation to tackle online harms. In a statement calling for urgent action, committee...Posted 20 Oct 2020
Democracy and ‘deterrence’: How out-of-date campaign rules leave the door open to turnout suppressionPresidential elections tend to highlight the best and worst of US democracy. In 2016, for instance, the winner of the popular vote did not win the election, due to the electoral college system – a...Posted 20 Oct 2020
Does PR mean coalitions? As New Zealand shows – it’s all down to the votersThe New Zealand Labour party are celebrating a landslide win, with 49 percent of the vote and enough MPs to form a single-party government on their own. This is the first time since New Zealand...Posted 20 Oct 2020
Voters risk being locked out – unless this crucial change is madeWhen the ‘virtual Parliament’ was launched at the end of April, the UK was witnessing around 5,000 new coronavirus cases a day. The first wave subsided. But now, we are seeing over 15,000 new cases...Posted 20 Oct 2020
Early voting doesn’t have to mean long queuesTwo news stories stood out this week. As early voting opened in some US states, images of voters queuing all day to vote were greeted as signs of enthusiasm in America but confusion outside, while...Posted 15 Oct 2020