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Parliament is considering turning its back on new ways of working

Both houses of Parliament have long been associated with inaccessibility, with working patterns designed around the diaries of married, middle-aged men. MPs who were ill, pregnant or hundreds of miles away in their constituencies often...

Posted 26 Feb 2021

7 out of 10 want MPs to be able to participate remotely

Campaigners call for Government to back franchise extension across the UK

May’s elections will see an exciting democratic first as voters head to the polls: 16 and 17-year-olds in Wales will be able to vote in elections for the Senedd. This exciting breakthrough comes following legislation...

Posted 25 Feb 2021

One-party politics is over: Why pressure is building for proportional representation

Debate is growing about the need for a fair, democratic voting system. This week an editorial in the Guardian noted how the pandemic shows how giving governments 100% of the power – with only minority support is...

Posted 19 Feb 2021

We need to see ‘more collaboration’ and ‘more consensus’ in UK politics

One in four Constituency Labour Parties now back Proportional Representation – so what’s next?

Pressure is growing. This week the campaign to get Labour to back electoral reform hit a new milestone. A quarter of Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) have passed motions calling for a fairer voting system. This...

Posted 19 Feb 2021

Holyrood must take forward the Citizens’ Assembly’s calls to revamp Scottish democracy

Politicians must move Scottish democracy forward by putting citizens at the centre, the ERS and 17 other leading organisations and campaigners say.

Posted 18 Feb 2021

“Citizens’ assemblies are being used to upgrade Scottish democracy”

How government voter ID plans are an expensive and dangerous distraction

At a cost of up to £20m per election, this is a colossal waste of energy and resources at a time when we should be focusing on the UK’s recovery.

Posted 18 Feb 2021

How a landmark bill could enhance democracy in the US

The 2020 US presidential election and down-ballot races were a success for democratic participation. The presidential race saw a record number of people – over 158 million US voters – turn out to vote and...

Posted 16 Feb 2021

HR1 is one of the most comprehensive attempts at reforming federal election law in US history

Wales’ planning for the May elections is a welcome contrast to Westminster

Key decisions on May's elections in Wales will be driven by consensus and cooperation, rather than ministerial diktat.

Posted 15 Feb 2021

MPs step up parliamentary push for electoral reform with new cross-party campaign

MPs have launched a fresh effort to reform Westminster’s undemocratic voting laws, with a new all-party group pushing for change. The cross-party group – the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Electoral Reform – is working towards...

Posted 12 Feb 2021

A bumper year for local elections – but a dud system is holding England back

Last week, the government announced that the elections on May 6th will go ahead – a welcome bit of clarity. Although this is good news for democracy, voters will still be short-changed under England’s one-party-takes-all...

Posted 12 Feb 2021