Powys and Gwynedd lead the way for Welsh councils with consultation votesThere was fantastic news for voters coming out of Powys and Gwynedd today, as their County Councils have voted YES to public consultations on scrapping First Past the Post for their elections and bringing in...Posted 07 Dec 2023
Strong government vs good government? First Past the Post means our governments will always fail to deliverGovernment failures are always in the news, but we rarely question why it is that our governments often seem so wholly incapable of delivering on their objectives. It’s easy to point at individual ministers and...Posted 30 Nov 2023
New political funding rules sneak inWhen people are asked about the problems with money in politics, few raise the issue of there not being enough. In fact, the public are deeply concerned about big money in politics with the majority...Posted 24 Nov 2023
Voters prefer decisions made by panels balanced between men and womenMen still dominate political decision-making in the United Kingdom. Women hold just one or two seats on prestigious select committees in the House of Commons, like Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Justice. No women sit on...Posted 21 Nov 2023
David Cameron’s seat at the cabinet table means a seat for life in the LordsDavid Cameron was appointed as Foreign Secretary this week – but he’s not been an MP since 2016. How is he then taking one of the great offices of state? He’s not going to stand...Posted 16 Nov 2023
One year to win local proportional representation in WalesA year from today, November 15, 2024, is the last day before the next election where your councillors can decide to bring local democracy into the 21st century. I am talking about how councillors are...Posted 15 Nov 2023
We gave evidence to MSs on a new Bill to reform the Senedd – here’s what we saidIn September a new piece of legislation was introduced into the Senedd, which looks set to change how the Welsh Parliament looks and works. The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill, if passed, will see...Posted 10 Nov 2023
24 years ago the Greater London Authority Act gained royal assentThis weekend (11th November) marks the 24th anniversary of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 gaining royal assent. The Greater London Authority, comprising the Mayor of London and the London Assembly, was first elected in...Posted 10 Nov 2023
The political reforms that were lacking from the King’s SpeechDemocracy was a conspicuous omission from yesterday’s King’s Speech. The pomp and ceremony of the occasion was the government’s last chance to set out a legislative agenda before the next election. Yet despite Rishi Sunak...Posted 08 Nov 2023
First Past the Post in mayoral elections means less choice and a weaker voiceThis week, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said he is facing his ‘toughest election yet’ but why is that? When Labour have a national polling majority of somewhere in the region of 20...Posted 02 Nov 2023