House of Lords – Let’s break open this private members’ club once and for allAs I write, Lords are pouring into The Queen’s Robing Room to select a new member to join them for life. If that sounds like the bizarre initiation ceremony of a private members’ club, you’d...Posted 23 Jan 2019
How long have we used First Past the Post? You might be surprisedWe’re right to be proud of the long history of parliamentary democracy in Britain. But the way we elect MPs to Westminster is a relatively new development in that history. There have been countless reforms...Posted 11 Jan 2019
Local government in Scotland is top-down and distant – but we can change thatIf there was once a connection between elected councillors in Scotland and the communities they supposedly represent, this has long since fallen away. City halls are often worlds apart from the communities within their apparent...Posted 01 Jan 2019
Five New Year’s resolutions ministers should be signing up toIf 2018 has shown us anything, it’s that the debates over the state of our democracy are as crucial as ever. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the controversial ID trials at the local elections,...Posted 31 Dec 2018
There’s a way through this Brexit gridlock which can unite the countryThe 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 2018On 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
Our top 5 most read blogs of 2018This time of year, we take a look back on our most popular articles of the year. A lot has happened: But what were you, our dear reader, most interested in this year? Here’s our...Posted 20 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
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