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ERS Scotland

Denmark’s three-day democracy festival that attracts over 65,000 visitors

I had the opportunity to visit Denmark’s democracy festival, Folkemødet, (translated as the People’s Meeting), this June. Representatives from Perth and...

The global ultra-rich can effectively buy political parties outright
Money in Politics

What political finance changes are coming in?

Back in 2015 we published Deal or No Deal which looked at public attitudes to political finance following the failed...

Any bloc with more than 42% of the vote would get up to 70 bonus seats
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Proposed Italian electoral law would remove First Past the Post seats – but it’s not all good news

For much of the post-war period, Italy was famous for having a very proportional electoral system – but this all...

I am a strong supporter of electoral reform
Electoral Reform in Westminster

In Andy Burnham we have the first prime minister who openly backs proportional representation

Andy Burnham’s rise to Downing Street means that for the first time in modern history we have a prime minister...

It is clear there is still a lot more to do
Electoral Reform in Westminster

What legacy does Keir Starmer leave on democratic and electoral reform?

This week we are witnessing an increasingly familiar sight – a change of prime minister. Keir Starmer has left office...

Electoral Reform in Westminster

The problem with tactical voting in Britain’s multi-party politics

At election time, millions of us arrive at the polling station in a conflicted state of mind – do I...

It feels unlikely that we will see a return to two party politics any time soon
Electoral Reform in Westminster

What did the YouGov, Opinium and Survation polling say for June 2026?

June was a very eventful month in British politics. Andy Burnham won the most consequential UK parliamentary by-election for decades,...

Automatic Voter Registration will create a level playing
ERS Cymru

Wales becomes the first UK nation to introduce Automatic Voter Registration

Last week, the Welsh Government laid new regulations to introduce Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) across all 22 Welsh local authorities...

There is nothing more unstoppable than an idea whose time has come and PRs time has come
Electoral Reform in Westminster

What has Andy Burnham said about the voting system?

Westminster has, once again, been engulfed in high theatre. The Prime Minister stood aside on Monday announcing a two-week departure...

Manchesters next mayor will need a broad coalition of support
Mayors

What is the Supplementary Vote, and why is it being used in Manchester?

On Thursday 30 July, Greater Manchester will be electing a new mayor. The by-election follows Andy Burnham’s decision to return...

Instability runs deeper than who currently occupies Number 10
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Keir Starmer’s resignation is the latest product of the chaos of First Past the Post

Today Keir Starmer announced he will be resigning as Prime Minister. It is hard to overstate how remarkable that is....

parliaments that truly represented how the country voted
Electoral Reform in Westminster

The difference between proportional and preferential voting systems – and why it matters

When is an electoral reform not proportional? That question matters because support for scrapping First Past the Post is growing,...