The ludicrousness of hereditary peer by-electionsThe British constitution, its parliament and its institutions are well known for its oddities and eccentricities: the space provided in the Commons cloakroom for MPs to hang their sword; the fact that all swans in...Posted 15 Sep 2016
The next four years for reform: our 2020 strategyOver the past few years, the Electoral Reform Society has gone from strength to strength. As the world’s oldest pro-democracy organisation, we have a long history of fighting to build a better democracy. And now...Posted 07 Sep 2016
ERS Quiz the Green Party Leadership Candidates on Democratic ReformThe Green Party of England & Wales’ leadership (and Deputy Leadership) election is in full swing, with voting open until the 25th August. At the ERS, we’re running Q&As with all the leadership and deputy leadership candidates...Posted 02 Aug 2016
Why electoral reform is a trade union issueThis is an article from Rory Scothorne and Josiah Mortimer ahead of the Unite union’s policy conference starting this weekend. The text is from the ERS’ new trade union leaflet ‘Trade Unions and Electoral Reform‘, and follows an overwhelming vote at last year’s...Posted 08 Jul 2016
5 things this EU vote has taught us about referendumsWhichever way you feel about the result, most people are glad the EU referendum campaign is over. To put it diplomatically, it wasn’t the highest quality debate in the world. Particularly for those on the...Posted 05 Jul 2016
How do Conservative Party leadership elections work?(Updated for October 2024) Historically there weren’t elections for the leader of the Conservative party, but, following the machinations surrounding the appointment of Sir Alec Douglas-Home in 1963, elections among the MPs were brought in,...Posted 05 Jul 2016
In Australia, as in the UK, the voting system is at breaking pointIn 2010 Australia delivered its first hung parliament since 1940. A seemingly freak one-off, the election followed a period of unrest in the incumbent Labor Party (ALP) who had replaced their Prime Minister Kevin Rudd after just...Posted 04 Jul 2016
We can do referendums better in the UK. Here’s how.This article was first published by Times Red Box Last week’s referendum raised some serious questions about the nature of the democracy we have – and the type we want to create. Unlike other countries,...Posted 30 Jun 2016
A Mayor for the Bucharest of UsBucharest, Romania’s largest city and capital, has had a rocky four years since the 2012 local elections. The city is governed by a city-wide mayor and general council, and divided into six pizza-slice shaped sectors...Posted 07 Jun 2016
The Irish election: How PR can keep the local linkThe General Election in Ireland last month was an earthquake in Irish politics. Ireland now has a vastly more diverse political landscape, with the results a reflection of a major decline in party loyalties –...Posted 29 Mar 2016