An unenviable milestone – we must stop the bloat of our oversized second chamberThis week the House of Lords hit an unenviable milestone – once again topping over 800 members following Boris Johnson’s latest round of appointments. Some barriers are meant to be broken but having 800 members...Posted 12 Feb 2021
Activists are calling on Keir Starmer to back ambitious political reform, following a key Labour reportLeading Labour figures and democracy campaigners have urged the Labour party to get behind major political reform, following the launch of a new party-commissioned roadmap for constitutional change.Posted 05 Feb 2021
Why we need more than piecemeal reform of the House of LordsThe House of Lords is back in the spotlight, with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown saying that replacing the House of Lords with an elected senate of the nations and regions should form part of...Posted 03 Feb 2021
7 democratic developments to watch out for this yearWhat does democracy look like in a pandemic? It’s a question that came up a lot last year – and 2021 seems no different. This year could see some major developments when it comes to...Posted 18 Jan 2021
Five times the ERS set the news agenda in 2020Despite the difficulties of 2020, the ERS kept up the pressure and make the case for political reform in a crowded news cycle. From promoting our key campaigns through our analysis of the 2019 election...Posted 13 Jan 2021
What is the House of Lords Appointments Commission?A little-known non-departmental public body, the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC), has recently been thrust into the spotlight, following the Prime Minister’s latest round of appointments to the House of Lords (if you weren’t...Posted 12 Jan 2021
Here’s how much the PM’s new unelected Lords could cost usThe House of Lords was already bursting at the seams, but the latest batch of appointments from the Prime Minister has taken it past breaking point. Over 800 unelected lawmakers will be voting on decisions...Posted 04 Jan 2021
Replace Lords with a senate of the regions to help ‘level up’Overhauling Parliament’s London-dominated second chamber would help empower the UK’s nations and regions, writes a senior director at the Electoral Reform Society. It’s been a year since Boris Johnson’s victory in the 2019 general election,...Posted 22 Dec 2020
Building a better democracy – 2020 and the Electoral Reform SocietyIt’s hard to think of a more troubling year in living memory. But the public health crisis has, perhaps counter-intuitively, put issues of democracy at the forefront. The election may feel like a distant memory,...Posted 07 Dec 2020
ERS in the Press – October 2020This month has seen a renewed interest in proportional representation internationally. Willie Sullivan backed up the case for a fairer voting system in Canada, drawing on his experience in Scotland. “If you want a system...Posted 29 Oct 2020