ERS in the Press: July 2019July was a busy month in Westminster before MPs headed off for the summer recess. Brexit and the Conservative leadership election dominated the headlines – and we found plenty of opportunities to keep reform of...Posted 01 Aug 2019
Local elections: How voters in England were cheated by a broken voting systemLocal democracy in England and Wales has long been under strain – with contests often seeing dismally low turnout, or indeed no contest taking place at all. But new research from the ERS adds fresh...Posted 30 Jul 2019
Building a stronger Senedd: Why size (still) mattersAlmost since its inception, there has been discussion and debate about a larger National Assembly here in Wales. Most recently, an expert panel on Assembly reform led by Professor Laura McAllister stated simply that the...Posted 19 Jul 2019
The Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland: What can be learnt from elsewhere?How do you ensure the recently-announced Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland is open and transparent while protecting the participants from hostility and excess lobbying? How do you ensure it is independent of government – but also that it...Posted 17 Jul 2019
Voters are going beyond left-right divides – and the system can’t handle itDuring the first half of 2019, party affiliation among the British electorate became more fragmented and volatile than ever before. In the English local elections on 2 May the Liberal Democrats and Greens – as...Posted 17 Jul 2019
Ed Davey – Liberal Democrat Leadership InterviewElectoral Reform Society Chief Executive Darren Hughes spoke with Lib Dem leadership candidate Ed Davey Darren Hughes: Ed, thank you very much for joining us as part of your campaign I know that you’ve always...Posted 12 Jul 2019
Jo Swinson – Liberal Democrat Leadership InterviewOur Chief Executive Darren Hughes interviewed Liberal Democrat Leadership hopeful Jo Swinson on her democratic priorities. Darren Hughes: Let’s kick off with what we’re about at the ERS! Do you think recent events and politics...Posted 12 Jul 2019
An election could happen at any time – electoral law needs to be urgently updatedLast week, the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee published its response to the government’s Online Harms White Paper, where it called for urgent legislation to safeguard future elections. Echoing the...Posted 11 Jul 2019
Support grows for new way of doing democracy, as hundreds discuss Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland plansIt’s clear that there is a growing appetite for a new kind of democracy, after hundreds gathered on Monday evening to debate plans for a Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland. At a sold-out panel Q&A hosted...Posted 10 Jul 2019
Four pitfalls and opportunities for the Citizens’ Assembly of ScotlandNext Monday, the firing gun will be started on the Scottish Government’s plans for a ‘Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland’. Hundreds will gather to discuss what this might look like, what it might involve, and how...Posted 05 Jul 2019