The Reformer

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...

Scottish Parliament Debating Chamber

A Parliament That Works for Scotland

Make Scotland’s democracy even more representative.

D’Hondt often over-rewards parties that have already done well

How Sainte-Laguë could improve Scottish Parliamentary elections

Scotland’s Parliament has always been better at representing the political makeup of Scotland than Westminster. A parliament where votes mattered...

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...

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

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...

The majority of people are represented by an MP they didnt want

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...

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...