The Reformer

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The majority of people are represented by an MP they didnt want
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Why First Past the Post leaves most of us without voice in parliament

We live in a country where each constituency has a single MP. Yet for most people this means the MP...

Why reach out when you can win a majority on just 30 percent of the vote
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How First Past the Post turns politics into tribal warfare

Poll after poll and headline after headline in the U.K may leave you with the impression of a country more...

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Forced to make a tactical vote? We shouldn’t have to vote for the least bad option

Every election, millions of us head to the polling station in a conflicted state of mind – should I vote...

First Past the Post doesn’t care how narrow or extreme a party’s agendas is
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How First Past the Post lets people with fringe views slip through the net

Britain’s First Past the Post system was designed for a two-party age. One that pretty much everyone agrees we no...

The Commission must be accountable to Parliament as a whole - not the government of _the day
Campaign Regulation

Why Electoral Commission independence matters

This week, a new report from Spotlight on Corruption highlighted the impact of Electoral Commission independence to the UK’s democratic standing....

Labour won a commanding majority, even though two-thirds did not vote for the party
Electoral Reform in Westminster

How many votes did Labour get in 2024?

On election night in 2024, the headlines celebrated a Labour landslide. Crowds cheered, pundits predicted a bold new direction, and...

Reforming the House of Lords isn't just about modernising a relic, it's about making our democracy fit for purpose.
House of Lords

Should the House of Lords be reformed?

The bill to remove all 88 hereditary peers from the House of Lords is making its way through the House...

If the Government wants to ensure that we, the voters, trust our democratic institutions, it needs to start with ending the reign of big donors
Money in Politics

Is there a limit to political donations in the UK?

Political parties cost money to run. In the UK, they’re funded by a variety of sources, including membership fees, grants,...

In a representative democracy, we ought to have a Parliament that matches the way people voted
Electoral Reform in Westminster

What’s wrong with First Past the Post?

First Past the Post (FPTP) is the name for the voting system used to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to...

Our Parliament has made positive steps toward equal representation, but there’s still room for improvement
Women in Politics

It’s no accident that there are not enough women in Parliament

Women’s equal representation in Parliament matters for a host of reasons. From the simple fact that 50% of us are...

It makes no difference who many voters in England and Wales vote for
English Local Democracy

Why all local councils should be elected with proportional representation

If you live in England, you might be casting a vote for a councillor in a local election this May...

When it comes to local government, especially in England, the picture isn’t always straightforward
English Local Democracy

What are the different types of local government in England?

Understanding how the different levels of government in the UK can sometimes feel like piecing together a tricky puzzle. At...