The Reformer

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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...

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,...

Proportional representation is about giving voters control over their neighbourhoods
English Local Democracy

A council with no overall control isn’t the same as one with proportional representation

May’s English local elections ended one-party dominance in over 30 councils, with 64 of the 136 councils now under no...

Better local services need better local elections
English Local Democracy

Why we need to change the way we elect our councillors in England and Wales

Discussions around changing the voting system often refer to Westminster, yet the same problems that stifle the government of the...

Holyrood’s voting system wants you to be represented in Parliament
ERS Scotland

How Scotland’s Holyrood elections work will work this May

The 2024 General Election in Scotland was a one-sided affair. Scottish Labour won 35.3% of the vote in Scotland and...

Wales has 16 new constituencies, each one electing six Members of the Senedd
ERS Cymru

There is a new way of voting at the Senedd election this May. How does it work?

Whatever happens in May, the next Senedd election is set to be historic. For instance, recent polling has pointed to...

We need to shift the balance closer to 50:50, to allow the ‘top-up’ to do its job.
ERS Scotland

Scotland’s Parliament still has too much First Past the Post

When the Scottish Parliament was created, it was built to be different to Westminster. A system designed to reflect how...

Candidates need to be able to communicate with voters
Campaign Regulation

Is it possible to opt out of political leaflets through the letterbox?

Written by Thomas Worth In the months leading up to elections, voters are often inundated with all sorts of literature...

Scotland should look again at how its parliament is elected
Scottish Parliament

Why Holyrood’s voting system still favours larger parties

Everyone knows that First Past the Post favours the largest party. At the last Westminster election, Labour managed to turn...

As the electorate increasingly fragments our system is failing to reflect our preferences
Electoral Reform in Westminster

What can the Effective Number of Parties tell us about First Past the Post?

Written by Thomas Worth The results of the 2024 General Election were the most disproportional in British political history. The...

When we don't want people to pick up an activity, we don't let them start until they are 18
Votes at 16

Why voting isn’t like drinking or smoking

I’m pretty glad that 12-year-olds aren’t allowed to drive buses. We have age restrictions on many things for pretty good...