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There’s a way through this Brexit gridlock which can unite the country

The likelihood of politicians reaching a consensus on Brexit appears to be diminishing by the day – to consternation on all sides. But what if there’s another way? Parliament is split on May’s deal and...

Posted 29 Dec 2018

Which European countries use proportional representation?

Of the 43 countries most often considered to be within Europe, 40 use some form of proportional representation to elect their MPs. The UK stands almost alone in Europe in using a ‘one-person-takes-all’ disproportionate voting...

Posted 26 Dec 2018

What we learnt from the ERS Members and Supporters Conference 2018

On the first weekend in December, ERS members and supporters came together for the Society’s Annual Conference and AGM. The majority of the day was made up of workshop sessions, where ERS staff led discussions on...

Posted 21 Dec 2018

How does proportional representation work in Germany?

[Note: Germany updated their voting system for the 2025 election, and introduced new rules. You can find out about that in our article on the election] Elections to Germany’s Bundestag – Germany’s House of Commons...

Posted 18 Dec 2018

Proportionality and fairness makes this an improvement on Westminster

Time is running out in this Centenary year – why are the government waiting to tackle the ‘political gender gap’?

In November, the Electoral Reform Society helped coordinate an unprecedented coalition of campaigners and politicians in calling for government action on the ‘political gender gap’. Marking the centenary of women’s right to stand for Parliament,...

Posted 14 Dec 2018

Political parties should publish their candidate diversity data

Why the Brexit TV debate debacle shows party leaders must be compelled to take part

There was a story noticeably absent on the front pages on Monday: Sunday night’s Brexit TV leaders debate. That’s because – for all the valiant efforts of broadcasters, there wasn’t one. The past month has...

Posted 12 Dec 2018

The Burns Report – Where Are We One Year On?

Mariya Green reflects on some of the research undertaken during her placement at the ERS The report of the Lord Speaker’s Committee on the Size of the House of Lords – more commonly known as...

Posted 11 Dec 2018

Burns report on size of the House of Lords

Does Ireland use proportional representation?

Ireland has a long history of using proportional representation and, specifically, the Single Transferable Vote (STV). STV is the Electoral Reform Society’s preferred electoral system. Rather than one person representing everyone in a small area,...

Posted 11 Dec 2018

Building a better democracy – 2018 and the Electoral Reform Society

As a sense of crisis dominates national life, electoral reformers offer an alternative to the way we do politics in the UK. The shadow of the last three general elections is cast wide over Westminster,...

Posted 10 Dec 2018