Hereditary peer by-elections have been paused. They should be scrapped entirely The House of Lords just keeps getting bigger. Following the PM’s appointment of 36 new unelected peers, each week sees more introduced to a chamber that is bursting at the seams. The Lords themselves have... Posted 18 Sep 2020
It is possible to hold elections in a pandemic, but we have to start planning for them now This is a guest article from Sarah Birch, Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Economy, King’s College London. Elections are by their nature complex logistical exercises. During a pandemic, holding an election will be... Posted 15 Sep 2020
What can we learn from the UK Climate Assembly? The UK’s first nationwide citizens’ assembly on climate change came to a close this week, with the launch of its final report setting out 50 recommendations on how the UK should reach net zero by... Posted 11 Sep 2020
Wales’ Parliament has long been under-resourced – it’s time to change that With just 60 elected members, Wales’ Parliament has long been under-resourced. But that problem has grown as Wales acquired more responsibilities – without the representatives needed to properly scrutinise legislation. Changes to the size of... Posted 11 Sep 2020
ERS in the Press – August 2020 As governments respond to the global pandemic, the issue of how voters are represented has not gone away. In fact, in many ways, it has become more salient. PR in the public eye In August,... Posted 04 Sep 2020
Our elections watchdog needs strengthening, not scrapping You’d think given the rising tide of disinformation, dodgy donations and dark ads online, the government might be getting serious about empowering our elections watchdog. Instead, the Conservative Party has actually issued a call to... Posted 03 Sep 2020
Revealed: The true cost of Britain’s silent peers There are many perks to being a member of the House of Lords. While many peers do work hard, it seems one of the perks is being able to claim expenses for doing very little.... Posted 17 Aug 2020
Scotland’s loophole ridden lobbying laws are in need of an urgent upgrade Wealth and power can get people access and influence that normal citizens can only imagine. It is, after all, why lobbying is a multi-million pound industry. That's why transparency is so vital. Posted 17 Aug 2020
Political parties – what are your plans to make a more diverse Senedd? On first glance, the Senedd might appear relatively diverse for a political institution in the UK. It made headlines in 2003 when it became the first legislative body in the world to have 50% women.... Posted 17 Aug 2020
Britain moves closer to shutting down ‘dark ads’ – but we need action now The government has today unveiled new proposals that would require parties and political campaigners to display a digital imprint on online political advertisements. This would bring online ads in line with offline election material, which... Posted 12 Aug 2020