At 35% we still have a long way to go on women’s representationIt’s been over a hundred years since some women won the right to stand as MPs and vote in 1918. But women only won the vote on the same terms as men in 1928, and...Posted 08 Mar 2024
Peter Mandelson should save his slimming tips for the House of LordsLord Peter Mandelson found himself in the headlines a couple of times this week. Firstly, when he criticised Labour’s plans to scrap the unelected Lords and replace it with an elected chamber that better represents...Posted 07 Mar 2024
Vote splitting trick won’t work with Scotland’s Single Transferable VoteOn March 7th voters in Hillhead in Glasgow will be heading to the polls for a council by-election. Among those standing are candidates from the Scottish Greens and Independent Green Voice (IGV) – plenty of...Posted 04 Mar 2024
ERS Scotland make the case for democratic reform at Scottish Labour conferenceAlong with Labour For a New Democracy, we were at last weekend’s Scottish Labour conference to talk to attendees, as well as co-sponsor a well-attended fringe event. Under the title, Westminster Isn’t Working: How Can...Posted 20 Feb 2024
A future Labour government would be right to use Citizens’ AssembliesThis morning it was revealed in The Times that Sue Gray, Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff and former leading Civil Servant, is considering the use of Citizens’ Assemblies. Gray made the comments by referring to...Posted 19 Feb 2024
As more peers are crammed in the Lords, the public support elected membersLate on Friday, the Government slipped out its latest honours list, which will add 13 new peers to the already-heaving House of Lords. Among the newly-ennobled are the usual clutch of party donors and advisors....Posted 13 Feb 2024
ERS reveals constituencies with the most potential missing voters – is yours on the list?Analysis by the Electoral Reform Society has revealed that an estimated 8.2 million eligible voters are missing from the electoral register in England, Scotland and Wales. If moved onto the register this huge figure has...Posted 07 Feb 2024
Change to London mayoral elections complicates thinking for independent candidatesOver the weekend The Sun reported on rumours that Paul Scully MP, the former Conservative Minister for London, was considering running as an independent candidate for London mayor. We can’t comment on whether these Tory...Posted 05 Feb 2024
New Senedd Bill is an investment in Welsh democracyYesterday in the Senedd, the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said “democracy only flourishes if you tend the garden to which it is sowed”. He was speaking in a statement around the recent publication of the...Posted 31 Jan 2024
Electoral Commission chair calls out government on voter ID and finance loopholesIn a recent, wide-ranging, interview with the Financial Times, John Pullinger, the chair of the Electoral Commission, expressed concerns about the government’s voter ID scheme and the threat to the Commission’s independence contained in the...Posted 25 Jan 2024