The Reformer

CAER fringe 2026

Former Conservative Mayor Andy Street urges party to embrace electoral reform

Andy Street, the Conservative former mayor of the West Midlands, urged his party to embrace electoral reform to help it...

ucl debate

How should we assess different options for the voting system? (UCL)

UCL are hosting a free lunchtime Zoom webinar on the upcoming National Commission on Electoral Reform. Andy Burnham has announced...

25 years of proportional representation elections in Britain

Quarter of a century of fair elections with proportional representation in Britain

Following Andy Burnham’s historic pledge that Labour will have a manifesto commitment to change the First Past The Post (FPTP)...

Scotland’s local democracy needs power and resources

The Scottish Government’s reforms offers a promising path to stronger local democracy

In recent weeks, The Scottish Government has opened a major debate about the future structure of local government. As part...

An independent process with expert advice and voters’ views

What is a National Commission on Electoral Reform?

The Prime Minister made history last week announcing that he intends to fight the next election with a manifesto commitment...

The polling picture looks very different compared with the beginning of 2026

Looking back on the last 20 months of UK political polls

This month’s polling breakdown is being written shortly after Andy Burnham’s big speech to Labour’s annual conference. One of the...

We will contest the next election with a manifesto commitment to change the electoral system

Prime Minister announces manifesto pledge and historic National Commission at Labour Conference

Today, in his first conference speech as Prime Minister, I saw Andy Burnham commit his party to changing the way...

Elections aren't a horse race, where all that matters is who crosses the line first

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, First Past the Post would have turned a slight lead into a huge majority for the AFD

Germany is made up of 16 federal states, each with a slightly different version of proportional representation – making it...

First Past the Post means a party doesn’t need to win a majority of votes to rule alone

First Past the Post would have given the AfD nearly every seat in Saxony-Anhalt

There has been much coverage in recent days of the outcome of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, which lies in...

Is talk of an early general election justified by any changes seen in the polls

August 2026 in the polls: The latest UK monthly political polling averages

August is a month of long summer holidays for both schoolchildren and parliamentarians. However, it did not feel like politics...

Most Kiwis consider the voting system a settled matter

Questioning New Zealand’s proportional system led to questions about the prime minister’s position

New Zealand heads to the polls on November 7 and as a country with similar political traditions to the UK, it is...

To create a change that lasts, the process needs to be trusted

What does an independent commission on electoral reform need to succeed?

The idea of an independent commission on electoral reform has been gaining traction lately, with nearly 200 MPs calling for...