Why are there Bishops in the House of Lords?When most people think of Bishops they imagine a man or woman saying prayers in a cathedral, not making the laws that govern all of us. But there are Bishops today who sit in the...Posted 29 Nov 2018
How the Democrats could win the popular vote but not control of the HouseBrenda from Bristol famously cried “not another one!” at the news that we were to hold an election in 2017, just two years since the last one. Let’s hope she doesn’t plan to move to...Posted 06 Nov 2018
In 1951 more people voted Labour than Conservative, yet the Conservatives formed the governmentThe General Election on this day in 1951 couldn’t have been more decisive. Six years since Labour’s victory in 1945, and one year after their victory in 1950, the public was still behind Clement Attlee’s...Posted 25 Oct 2018
How can a party lose support but gain seats? The upside-down world of Westminster’s voting systemWhat would you expect to happen if a party gained support in a fresh election? Most people would expect them to gain MPs. It seems obvious that a change in popular support should lead to...Posted 14 Sep 2018
Seven things you need to know about the local electionsBlink and you’ll miss the coverage, but local elections are happening on Thursday 3 May in England. A lot has changed since these seats were last contested, in 2014. We had the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government,...Posted 16 Apr 2018
Why Voter ID is a solution seeking a problemThe government will be trialling making ID mandatory at polling stations this May. Voters in Bromley, Woking and Gosport will have to show officials their papers before being permitted to exercise their right to vote....Posted 19 Mar 2018
Why the government’s mandatory voter ID plans are a terrible ideaThe Electoral Commission has launched a new campaign against electoral fraud – a laudable effort to limit this type of crime. But it also brings under the spotlight the upcoming trials of mandatory voter ID...Posted 06 Mar 2018
How will the 2017 French presidential election work?After last year’s political whirlwind, attention has turned to 2017’s elections for evidence of further shocks. Voters are going to the polls in the Netherlands, in Germany but most attention is focused on France, whose...Posted 13 Jan 2017
How Trump won the Presidency despite not winning the most votesSo that sure was an election. Whatever happened in the US presidential election it was always going to be a historic moment. On Tuesday I pointed out that Donald Trump could win the Presidency even if...Posted 09 Nov 2016
How Trump could win the Presidency even if he doesn’t win the most votesIt’s election day in the United States, and that means all the pageantry and spectacle one comes to expect with democracy in the world’s most powerful nation. The spectacle of a US election also reminds...Posted 08 Nov 2016