Strong support for fair votes and jubilant mood at Lib Dem ConferenceI have just returned from a very sunny weekend in Bournemouth at the annual Liberal Democrat conference. As is usually the case at the Liberal Democrats annual meeting, the mood was jubilant. With 72 MPs,...Posted 30 Sep 2025
Why Electoral Commission independence mattersThis week, a new report from Spotlight on Corruption highlighted the impact of Electoral Commission independence to the UK’s democratic standing. The report lays bare just how far the UK has slipped since ministers were given...Posted 30 Sep 2025
Councillors keep winning with less than a third of the vote – what can England and Wales learn from Scotland?Each week, usually on a Thursday, a number of local council by-elections take place around Britain. As with UK parliamentary by-elections, these take place when a representative either resigns or dies and there is a...Posted 23 Sep 2025
MPs suggest National Commission on Electoral ReformIn our increasingly fragmented and volatile political environment, the case for electoral reform becomes clearer every day. And as the political landscape changes, so too will the route to our objective of a fairly elected...Posted 11 Sep 2025
Norway’s election shows how multi-party politics doesn’t have to mean random resultsNorway went to the polls on 8 September for their general election. The Scandinavian country has now used proportional representation for over 100 years and the outcome of the election is a prime example of...Posted 10 Sep 2025
MPs vote to cut short First Past the Post’s imposition on MayorsOn 2 September 2025, the House of Commons held the second reading of the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill. While the bill covers many areas, one of the clauses is something we have been...Posted 03 Sep 2025
Sticking-plaster reforms won’t fix the absurd and undemocratic Lords – the real solution is obviousThe absurdity of how the House of Lords currently operates has been thrown up in technicolour over the last few days. Several issues have been garnering media attention as the end of recess approaches and...Posted 28 Aug 2025
Government minister visits Dunfermline to find out about Citizens’ Assembly projectLast week, Dunfermline took another confident stride toward becoming a beacon of democratic innovation in Scotland. On Tuesday, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee visited the Abbeyview Community Hub to meet with local councillors, Fife Council...Posted 27 Aug 2025
Electoral Commission Chair calls for deeper citizenship educationAt the Electoral Reform Society we have long called for the right to vote to be extended to 16 and 17 year olds. Far too many people don’t vote, and research has shown that 16...Posted 26 Aug 2025
We called, they listened: Government confirms historic democratic reformsIn a statement to parliament today, the democracy minister set out the changes the government plans to make in the forthcoming elections bill. Last week we set out what we hoped to see in the...Posted 17 Jul 2025