At our Lib Dem fringe, panelists looked at future proofing our campaigning lawsWith proportional representation a long-term policy of the Liberal Democrats, we took the opportunity to discuss the wider crisis in our democracy at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Bournemouth this year. As the possibility...Posted 03 Oct 2019
The current crisis has been a long time coming – and Westminster’s system is behind itIt’s easy right now to get caught up in the daily drama of politics – to focus on individuals, and the game playing, and to forget that the current political chaos is all part of...Posted 24 Sep 2019
Why unions are getting serious about the need for political reformA week before the court case over prorogation reached the Supreme Court, the ERS’ Dr Jess Garland told TUC Congress delegates: “Our constitution is just a set of gentlemen’s agreements, with weak parliamentary checks and...Posted 19 Sep 2019
How To Upgrade our Democracy – Why Citizens’ Assemblies and Local Government Reform are part of the same future (SNP fringe)The Scottish Government says it is committed to deepening democracy in Scotland. This is vital and timely, as trust in democracy is at a very low ebb. In other places the response to social, economic...Posted 12 Sep 2019
Another election under Westminster’s broken voting system is unlikely to get us out of this crisisBack in May, our Westminster Beyond Brexit report raised a prescient question: “Do we want a democracy that gives the power of an absolute monarch to one party, or a government which is representative and...Posted 03 Sep 2019
200 years since the Peterloo Massacre, Westminster is still brokenThe events of 2019 have put the problems of Westminster’s system into sharp focus. From discussions about the Prime Minister proroguing parliament, to MPs leaving main parties to form their own (only to splinter within...Posted 16 Aug 2019
Brexit pacts: The latest desperate attempt to game a broken first-past-the-post systemThe decision by both Plaid Cymru and the Greens to stand down at last week’s Brecon and Radnorshire by-election has sparked a lot of talk in Westminster about political pacts. Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price...Posted 09 Aug 2019
Asking Theresa May To Show ‘Restraint’ In Her Resignation Honours Misses The Point – The Lords Is BustWhen even Peers are calling for an overhaul of the House of Lords, you know the chamber is broken. A few weeks ago, the Lord Speaker’s committee – set up in response to concerns over...Posted 06 Aug 2019
ERS in the Press: July 2019July was a busy month in Westminster before MPs headed off for the summer recess. Brexit and the Conservative leadership election dominated the headlines – and we found plenty of opportunities to keep reform of...Posted 01 Aug 2019
Local elections: How voters in England were cheated by a broken voting systemLocal democracy in England and Wales has long been under strain – with contests often seeing dismally low turnout, or indeed no contest taking place at all. But new research from the ERS adds fresh...Posted 30 Jul 2019