It’s time for candidates to ‘play fair’ and back overhaul of UK’s outdated election rulesThe Fair Play Pledge, a major initiative involving several democratic organisations, was formally launched this Wednesday to highlight the need for open and transparent campaigning for the May election period. Next month thousands of candidates...Posted 09 Apr 2021
MPs in joint call to ‘protect and strengthen’ the Electoral Commission, 20 years after its foundationThis week marks 20 years since the Electoral Commission was founded. It’s a time for celebration of its successes but also a time to look to its future. That’s why former Digital, Culture, Media and...Posted 04 Dec 2020
Happy birthday to the Electoral Commission – now let’s give it the powers it needsThis Monday marks 20 years since the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 received Royal Assent. It was an act which set up the Electoral Commission, the UK’s independent elections watchdog – and tackled...Posted 30 Nov 2020
Why we need transparency around the political use of personal dataIn recent years, we’ve talked a lot about the rise of online political campaigning and the impact this can have on our democratic processes – the ERS has been at the forefront of calling for...Posted 26 Nov 2020
20 years since the Electoral Commission was founded, our watchdog needs more cloutMonday 30th November marks the 20th Anniversary of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act. In 2000, just 30% of people had internet access at home. Facebook was years from conception. Today, campaigners spend millions each election...Posted 25 Nov 2020
As the Scottish Government closes the ‘dark ads’ loophole, Westminster must follow suitFor too long now, online political campaigning in Britain has gone effectively unregulated – to the benefit of well-funded, secretive groups, and to the detriment of voters. Despite the rapid rise of online political ads as a campaign tool, governments...Posted 29 Oct 2020
Tackling online harms to our democracy must be a priority Last week, the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee criticised the government for its repeated delays in publishing legislation to tackle online harms. In a statement calling for urgent action, committee...Posted 20 Oct 2020
Cross-party figures unite to call for transparency in ‘Wild West’ online campaigningPolitical figures across the spectrum have backed our calls for reform of Britain’s ‘wild west’ election campaign rules following the launch of our latest report.Posted 25 Sep 2020
ERS reveals the scale of secretive online campaigning during last year’s electionDemocracy in the Dark – our new report commissioned from two of the UK’s leading election finance academics reveals a major rise in online spending during the 2019 general election – with little transparency over...Posted 24 Sep 2020
New inquiry launched into Britain’s ‘wild west’ electoral lawsAnyone with an interest in bringing campaign rules into the 21st century can make a submission.Posted 08 Jun 2020