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Electoral Reform in Westminster

Lessons not Learnt: New report on 2015, 2017 and 2019 elections

The last nine years have witnessed three general elections, a nationwide referendum and no less than five prime ministers. At...

Across the UK opinion is evenly divided on the issue of right of appeal

Electoral Reform in Westminster

First past the post distorts public opinion on small boats

Last week’s YouGov MRP poll showing Labour on course for a 1997-style general election victory created a big splash. In...

Shouldn’t MPs win or lose their seats based on voters changing their minds

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Changing boundaries shouldn’t change election results

For the past 30 years, political scientists Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher have been investigating how new boundaries will impact...

The present political landscape would appear both radically different and depressingly similar to our forebears in 1884

Electoral Reform in Westminster

140 years of winning electoral reform

On a chilly evening exactly 140 years ago, a diverse group gathered at 7 Clarges Street, Westminster. Brought together by...

Liz Truss appointed one peer for every 1.5 days she served as Prime Minister

House of Lords

The UK’s shortest serving PM hands out peerages to friends and supporters

In the days between Christmas and New Year, the government tried to quietly slip out some bad news – it...

House of Lords

Which is the best electoral system for the House of Lords?

Whenever the issue of creating an elected Second Chamber comes up, a common question is how it should be elected....

At over 800 peers in total, it dwarfs all other second chambers around the world

House of Lords

How many peers are there in the House of Lords – and how many does it need?

One of the unique features of our currently second chamber, apart from it being unelected and still partially based on...

Around 400 seats will see very little, if any, local campaigning from either of the two major UK parties

Electoral Reform in Westminster

The Non-Battleground Election: Millions of voters are ignored

Last week, the Labour Party started the process of selecting their general election candidates for 211 ‘non-battleground’ constituencies in England....

Electoral Reform in Westminster

The top 5 most-read ERS articles from 2023

Every year we have a look through the stats to see which of our articles were the most popular with...

Only one-in-four think it is OK to hand out peerages in order to parachute people into cabinet

House of Lords

Fewer than one-in-four support prime ministers handing out peerages to parachute people into cabinet

Our recent polling, covered by the Daily Mirror, has found that fewer than one-in-four individuals think it is acceptable for...

Unfinished Business Routes to an Elected Second Chamber

House of Lords

Unfinished Business: New report shows routes to an elected Second Chamber

Reform of the House of Lords is both hugely popular with the public and very long overdue. Yet in any...

Over 3 million more British citizens might be able to vote in the next election

Money in Politics

How do countries around the world deal with overseas voters?

In October, legislation was introduced which would enable over 3 million more British citizens to vote. Wondering where the government...