STV: a 200-year quest for fair votingThis December, the UK we will be voting in yet another general election using First Past the Post – a system where one party can gain an overall majority of seats with only 35% to...Posted 27 Nov 2019
Google starts to open up on political ads – but who’s setting the rules?New rules have just come into force at Google, banning political ads which target the public based on their political affiliations. (Targeting on the basis of age, gender and general location will be allowed to...Posted 26 Nov 2019
Time is nearly out to register to vote. Don’t be silenced this electionThe election is fast approaching: and it’s time to bring the ‘missing millions’ currently not on the electoral roll into the fold. If you aren’t on the register, your voice won’t be heard. With only...Posted 25 Nov 2019
What happens at the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland?On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October, The Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland kicked off at the Grosvenor Hotel in Edinburgh, with one hundred people from across the country meeting for the first time. The Assembly...Posted 25 Nov 2019
It’s time we stopped arguing about the TV debates – and guaranteed real choice for votersTonight’s first round of television debates has been mired in controversy. Not over policies – but the format, with the SNP and Lib Dems mounting an unsuccessful legal challenge to being excluded. It’s not necessarily...Posted 19 Nov 2019
We should be scrutinising candidates and policies. Instead the talk is of tactics and pactsJudging by the first week of the general election campaign, it seems likely that the remaining month will see a lot of focus on ‘tactical’ issues. We’ve already seen electoral pacts, or parties standing down...Posted 13 Nov 2019
How do you register to vote and when do you have to do it by?Whilst registration statistics have gone dramatically up since the date for the next general election became official, arguably the level of first-time registration may be being overstated. The statistics we are given tell us the...Posted 13 Nov 2019
What is tactical voting and why is it bad for democracy?In a Westminster election, tactical voting takes place when a voter chooses a candidate whom they wouldn’t normally support, in order to prevent another candidate from winning. For example, if you want to vote for...Posted 12 Nov 2019
Policies for a fairer politics: How we can fix a broken systemThis election, the political system is more distrusted by voters than it has been for years. It’s not hard to see why. The sense that people do not feel ‘heard’ is growing: an ERS poll...Posted 08 Nov 2019
What is a hung parliament?Across the country, a total of 650 Members of Parliament are elected to the Commons, with one per constituency. Under Westminster’s first past the post electoral system each MP doesn’t need to be supported by...Posted 06 Nov 2019