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How Scottish campaigners are helping local communities take back power

Levels of local representation in Scotland are the lowest in Europe – leaving many feeling powerless. But now campaigners are hoping to change that. Back in 2016, research for Electoral Reform Society Scotland revealed 76...

Posted 05 Jun 2018

Slovenia had an election, but who actually won?

“Slovenian nationalist party wins parliamentary election” declares the Guardian. “Anti-immigration party wins Slovenia elections” says CNBC. “Anti-immigrant party wins divisive Slovenian election as coalition talks set to begin” says the Telegraph. The Slovenian Democratic Party...

Posted 05 Jun 2018

There’s a sham election happening in Parliament. Here’s what you need to know

The idea that people can become lawmakers for life – simply because they were born into the ‘right’ family – is, to most of us, absurd. Yet in the UK, in 2018, this is the...

Posted 04 Jun 2018

Citizens in British Columbia are set to decide on their voting system. Here is what you should know…

Back in May 2017 I brought you the story of the British Columbian general election which had seen no party get half the seats in the Legislative Assembly of Canada’s Westernmost province, leading to a...

Posted 01 Jun 2018

The government are using dirty tricks to cut our elected MPs

In the committee room corridors at the Palace of Westminster, the government’s conduct around the ongoing review of constituency boundaries is drawing cross-party criticism. The government’s official response to Parliament’s concerns fails to address any...

Posted 01 Jun 2018

Without urgent action, Britain’s super-sized second chamber is going to get even bigger

It’s already the second largest chamber in the world – but it’s about to get bigger. The House of Lords will be ‘bursting at the seams’ with more than 1,000 members by 2031, if its current...

Posted 30 May 2018

The Irish abortion referendum: How a Citizens’ Assembly helped to break years of political deadlock

In a historic referendum on Friday, the Irish electorate voted with a resounding Yes in favour of removing the Eighth Amendment (article 40.3.3) from the Constitution. Citizens were asked whether or not to replace the...

Posted 29 May 2018

The government tried to bury news on the bloated House of Lords. Here’s the facts…

“Theresa May backs bid to cut the size of House of Lords” began a headline in February. It seems that three months is a lifetime in politics… Over the weekend, the PM attempted to bury...

Posted 22 May 2018

Britain’s democratic farce: This is how the upcoming ‘hereditary by-election’ will work

Last week, there was a rather hushed announcement in parliament: a resignation among the Lords. A peer has decided to retire. No big news usually, but this is no ordinary peerage. Nor will it be an ordinary...

Posted 16 May 2018

No more filibustering – why the government should get behind a fairer franchise

Scotland has it, Wales is getting it, and more and more politicians are calling for it in England. Yet on Friday, a handful of MPs prevented legislation on votes at 16 going to the next...

Posted 15 May 2018