Parliament is considering turning its back on new ways of workingBoth houses of Parliament have long been associated with inaccessibility, with working patterns designed around the diaries of married, middle-aged men. MPs who were ill, pregnant or hundreds of miles away in their constituencies often...Posted 26 Feb 2021
How MPs are being effectively locked out of Parliament during the pandemicCommons leader Jacob Rees Mogg has announced a partial return to remote proceedings for MPs, after the shocking case of ex-Minister Tracey Crouch – who has cancer – being unable to contribute to a debate...Posted 16 Nov 2020
ERS in the Press – October 2020This month has seen a renewed interest in proportional representation internationally. Willie Sullivan backed up the case for a fairer voting system in Canada, drawing on his experience in Scotland. “If you want a system...Posted 29 Oct 2020
Voters risk being locked out – unless this crucial change is madeWhen the ‘virtual Parliament’ was launched at the end of April, the UK was witnessing around 5,000 new coronavirus cases a day. The first wave subsided. But now, we are seeing over 15,000 new cases...Posted 20 Oct 2020
Ministers make a vital u-turn on plans to lock MPs out of ParliamentAfter uproar from MPs, democracy campaigners and the wider public, the government made a welcome u-turn last week.Posted 13 Jun 2020
Has Westminster’s ‘winner-takes-all’ mentality hampered Parliament’s response to the pandemic?A new report delves into how Parliament has responded to the current pandemic - and holds up a mirror to Westminster's centralised set-up. Posted 10 Jun 2020
Scrapping remote participation for MPs risks a ‘rump Parliament’Government must back backbenchers' proposals to protect voters' interests and shielding MPs, democracy experts say.Posted 02 Jun 2020
Share your views on the success of the Virtual ParliamentIf you think Parliament needs to be brought into the 21st century, this is your chance...Posted 28 May 2020
Why the government’s rationale for closing the ‘Virtual Parliament’ doesn’t add upDespite the best efforts of a cross-party coalition of MPs to stop the ‘shutdown’, Wednesday marked the end of the successful Virtual Parliament proceedings in the Commons.Posted 21 May 2020
What are ministers afraid of? Why shutting down the virtual Parliament is blinkered and wrongOver the past week, we’ve seen a glimpse of why Ministers are so keen to end the ‘virtual Parliament’ procedures.Posted 20 May 2020