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Distorting mirror of first past the post
Electoral Reform in Westminster

The danger of choosing a voting system that works for you today

We all have a party we lean toward. Maybe we’ve stuck with them for decades, maybe our loyalties shift with...

Small changes in support result in wildly different outcomes
Electoral Reform in Westminster

First Past the Post could catapult Reform UK into government

A new YouGov MRP poll, published on 26 September 2025, provides another snapshot of the chaotic democratic outcomes being caused...

Lib Dem conference 2025
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Strong support for fair votes and jubilant mood at Lib Dem Conference

I have just returned from a very sunny weekend in Bournemouth at the annual Liberal Democrat conference. As is usually...

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....

Local democracy

Councillors keep winning with less than a third of the vote – what can England and Wales learn from Scotland?

Each week, usually on a Thursday, a number of local council by-elections take place around Britain. As with UK parliamentary...

National Commission on Electoral Reform terms of reference
Electoral Reform in Westminster

MPs suggest National Commission on Electoral Reform

In our increasingly fragmented and volatile political environment, the case for electoral reform becomes clearer every day. And as the...

Proportional Representation means voters get what they ask for
Electoral Reform in Westminster

Norway’s election shows how multi-party politics doesn’t have to mean random results

Norway went to the polls on 8 September for their general election. The Scandinavian country has now used proportional representation...

This bill has the opportunity to not just repair the damage, but improve on what we had
Local democracy

MPs vote to cut short First Past the Post’s imposition on Mayors

On 2 September 2025, the House of Commons held the second reading of the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill....

Merely trimming off a few members here and there would be like giving a haircut to a patient that needs major surgery
House of Lords

Sticking-plaster reforms won’t fix the absurd and undemocratic Lords – the real solution is obvious

The absurdity of how the House of Lords currently operates has been thrown up in technicolour over the last few...

Ministerial visit to Dunfermline
Citizens' Assemblies

Government minister visits Dunfermline to find out about Citizens’ Assembly project

Last week, Dunfermline took another confident stride toward becoming a beacon of democratic innovation in Scotland. On Tuesday, Public Finance...

Robust democracy depends on early informed participation
Votes at 16

Electoral Commission Chair calls for deeper citizenship education

At the Electoral Reform Society we have long called for the right to vote to be extended to 16 and...

we are going to see some hugely positive steps towards improving our democracy
Electoral Reform in Westminster

We called, they listened: Government confirms historic democratic reforms

In a statement to parliament today, the democracy minister set out the changes the government plans to make in the...