The Reformer

First Past the Post is a broken system in our multi-party era

It’s a three-horse race! First Past the Post isn’t fit for purpose in Gorton and Denton

The Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election, scheduled for Thursday 26 February, has garnered much media attention. The outcome will be...

Any decision to postpone elections must be a last resort

Government right to reverse the decision to postpone these local elections

The fundamental principle of democracy is that people get to regularly express their view on the politicians who make decisions...

When it comes to politics sunlight is the best disinfectant

Westminster’s dirty secret – what lobbying in Britain looks like and how we clean it up

Lobbying is a word that can be used to describe all manner of sins in Westminster. It has hit the...

The Representation of the People Bill should live up to its name and scrap First Past the Post

Elections bill will bring in once-in-a-generation change to voting – but misses big opportunity

Today sees the first reading of the Representation of the People Bill, the government’s landmark legislation reforming how elections work....

It is a crisis confronting our democracy that can't be ignored

MPs form new cross-party group aimed at wholesale Lords reform

This week, MPs and peers from across the political spectrum announced plans to form a new all-party parliamentary group on...

How can someone be removed from the House of Lords?

When peers make headlines for the wrong reasons, the same question inevitably arises: how do you actually remove someone from...

I’m quietly optimistic about what lies ahead

First weekend of Dunfermline New City Assembly lays a fantastic foundation

Dunfermline, Scotland’s ancient capital, feels like the ideal place to explore new ways for communities to influence decisions. This weekend...

Citizens have the right to expect regular local elections

Local election delays: It’s unacceptable to treat voters like a bureaucratic inconvenience

Elections are a crucial part of the democratic process. Citizens have the right to expect a regular opportunity to express...

Political uncertainty has damaged business confidence

Business leaders make the case for electoral reform

We saw a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform last week. More than 20 business leaders, including the...

British public strongly back caps on donations to political parties

Polling published in the last few weeks reveals that the British public are worried about the influence of money in politics, with a...

The top 5 most-read ERS articles from 2025

As the year draws to an end, we’ve had a look through the stats to see which of our articles...

The Prime Minister has created 96 new peers in total

Latest peerages mean government has replaced the hereditary peers – before they’ve even left the Lords

Keir Starmer himself not long ago described the wholly unelected and grossly bloated House of Lords as ‘indefensible’. Nothing has...