The ERS team at a historic Labour ConferenceThe campaign for fair votes recently achieved a historic victory when Labour Party Conference voted for a manifesto commitment to proportional representation for general elections. This is a massive moment for democracy in the UK....Posted 05 Oct 2022
Labour Party conference backs proportional representationIn a historic vote, Labour Party Conference has voted for a manifesto commitment to proportional representation for general elections. This is a massive moment for democracy in the UK. Now all major parties, bar the...Posted 27 Sep 2022
Long running survey finds majority support proportional representationThe publication of the latest findings from the long-running British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey this week saw a record-breaking high in public support for electoral reform. Since 1983, the following question has been included on...Posted 23 Sep 2022
Proportional representation would end the scourge of tactical votingThe losses in Wakefield and in Tiverton and Honiton, where the Liberal Democrats overturned a 24,000 Conservative majority, were both the result of declining support for Johnson’s government, but also it would appear, the result of widescale tactical voting....Posted 03 Jul 2022
How do elections work in Slovenia?The process of democratisation since the collapse of communism has not been uniform across eastern Europe, but some countries, such as the Baltic states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, are now drawing level with established...Posted 21 Apr 2022
Does proportional representation lead to higher turnout?A healthy democracy requires healthy levels of democratic participation – the most crucial element of which is turnout at general elections. But Britain has one of the lowest turnout rates in the west – a...Posted 10 Feb 2022
On Monday MPs have a chance to pass an election bill that actually worksOpposition MPs have tabled amendments on reforming our voting system that would improve our elections for voters across the country. On Monday the government’s elections bill returns to the House of Commons. Along with other...Posted 14 Jan 2022
Does First Past the Post stop extremists getting into parliaments?If you listen to supporters of first past the post, you might be forgiven for thinking that British voters are just itching to elect dozens of far-left and far-right MPs - with PR just waiting...Posted 15 Dec 2021
What’s the difference between open and closed list proportional representation?When discussing proportional voting systems, or voting systems in general, we usually talk about how they allocate seats to political parties. But parliaments are more than parties and it also matters how they decide which...Posted 15 Nov 2021
Labour’s Mark Drakeford calls for “radical reform” of the electoral system Mark Drakeford has thrown his support behind changes to how MPs are elected calling for ‘radical reform’ of Westminster’s electoral system. The First Minister of Wales made the remarks at the 2021 Aneurin Bevan Memorial...Posted 28 Oct 2021