The Reformer

It is time to talk about our democracy

Democracy Day: On December 5th, it’s time to break the silence on political reform

Few would say with honesty that Westminster is working. So it’s time to talk about how to change it. The...

Google starts to open up on political ads – but who’s setting the rules?

New rules have just come into force at Google, banning political ads which target the public based on their political...

Thomas Wright Hill

The quest for fairer voting

The first recorded election under a proportional representation (PR) system took place on 17 December 1819, when the Birmingham Society...

Time is nearly out to register to vote. Don’t be silenced this election

The election is fast approaching: and it’s time to bring the ‘missing millions’ currently not on the electoral roll into...

What kind of country are we seeking to build

What happens at the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland?

On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October, The Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland kicked off at the Grosvenor Hotel in Edinburgh,...

It’s time we stopped arguing about the TV debates – and guaranteed real choice for voters

Tonight’s first round of television debates has been mired in controversy. Not over policies – but the format, with the...

We should be scrutinising candidates and policies. Instead the talk is of tactics and pacts

Judging by the first week of the general election campaign, it seems likely that the remaining month will see a...

Voters shouldn’t have to change their behaviour to work around first past the post’s failings

What is tactical voting and why is it bad for democracy?

In a Westminster election, tactical voting takes place when a voter chooses a candidate whom they wouldn’t normally support, in...

What is a hung parliament?

Across the country, a total of 650 Members of Parliament are elected to the Commons, with one per constituency. Under...

Three issues that need tackling this General Election

Let’s use this election as a chance to re-build democracy on stronger and fairer foundations As the UK prepares for...

Could social media warp the next General Election?

Facebook recently triggered a major public debate by changing its rules on posts by political campaigners. Previously these had been...

Scotland’s Citizens’ Assembly: What can it do to be a success?

This piece is a guest post from Conor Black. Conor is a former student of the University of Glasgow who...