It will take more than moving the Lords up north to mend our broken politicsThe phrase ‘moving the deckchairs’ has never felt so apt. Over the weekend, we learnt that Boris Johnson is mulling plans to move the House of Lords permanently to York. Or maybe Birmingham. Speaking of...Posted 23 Jan 2020
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
An elected House of Lords wouldn’t just be a clone of the House of CommonsThe Electoral Reform Society has long campaigned for the House of Lords to be abolished and replaced with a new modern, fairly elected democratic second chamber. We also want to see the one ‘democratic’ chamber...Posted 10 Sep 2019
What is the main purpose of the House of Lords?Even those of you out there who have a passing knowledge of our campaigning work will know we are not the greatest cheerleaders for the House of Lords. Who could blame us? If you asked...Posted 21 Aug 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
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
Ending the Politics of Division – How We Can Build a New DemocracyTen years on from the expenses scandal that rocked trust in our politics and nearly three years since this Brexit deadlock began, Britain’s broken political system remains largely unchanged. No one can deny it: the...Posted 25 May 2019
Why replacing the unelected House of Lords is key to the movement for fair votesFor far too many of its members, the second chamber of our Parliament is a private members’ club. The House of Lords – the UK’s revising chamber – is packed to the brim with appointees...Posted 22 Mar 2019
How hereditary aristocrats are still trying to call the shots in ParliamentOn Friday, a handful of hereditary aristocrats managed to club together to stop even the most modest of attempts to modernise the House of Lords. Lord Grocott’s bill would have ended the absurd practice of...Posted 19 Mar 2019
These three peers should not be allowed to stand in the way of democracyIn a week dominated by Brexit, it’s easy to forget that there are other topics still on the political agenda. While our MPs once again grapple over just what kind of Brexit would ‘take back...Posted 15 Mar 2019