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Our constitution is just a set of gentlemen’s agreements

House of Lords

Why unions are getting serious about the need for political reform

A week before the court case over prorogation reached the Supreme Court, the ERS’ Dr Jess Garland told TUC Congress...

How To Upgrade our Democracy – Why Citizens’ Assemblies and Local Government Reform are part of the same future (SNP fringe)

The Scottish Government says it is committed to deepening democracy in Scotland. This is vital and timely, as trust in...

A general election would re-shuffle the parliamentary deck rather than solve the underlying problem

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Another election under Westminster’s broken voting system is unlikely to get us out of this crisis

Back in May, our Westminster Beyond Brexit report raised a prescient question: “Do we want a democracy that gives the...

200 years since one of the first battles for the vote, our political structures still need to change

Constitutional Convention

200 years since the Peterloo Massacre, Westminster is still broken

The events of 2019 have put the problems of Westminster’s system into sharp focus. From discussions about the Prime Minister...

Westminster's voting system is an anti-choice stitch up

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Brexit pacts: The latest desperate attempt to game a broken first-past-the-post system

The decision by both Plaid Cymru and the Greens to stand down at last week’s Brecon and Radnorshire by-election has...

House of Lords

Asking Theresa May To Show ‘Restraint’ In Her Resignation Honours Misses The Point – The Lords Is Bust

When even Peers are calling for an overhaul of the House of Lords, you know the chamber is broken. A...

Electoral Reform in Westminster

ERS in the Press: July 2019

July was a busy month in Westminster before MPs headed off for the summer recess. Brexit and the Conservative leadership...

In 17 councils, the party with the largest number of votes did not secure the most seats

Local democracy

Local elections: How voters in England were cheated by a broken voting system

Local democracy in England and Wales has long been under strain – with contests often seeing dismally low turnout, or...

Welsh Parliament

Building a stronger Senedd: Why size (still) matters

Almost since its inception, there has been discussion and debate about a larger National Assembly here in Wales. Most recently,...

There’s plenty of good practice which the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland can draw on

Democracy Max

The Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland: What can be learnt from elsewhere?

How do you ensure the recently-announced Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland is open and transparent while protecting the participants from hostility and excess...

A two-dimensional political environment is perhaps creating a four-party-plus political system

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Voters are going beyond left-right divides – and the system can’t handle it

During the first half of 2019, party affiliation among the British electorate became more fragmented and volatile than ever before....

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Ed Davey – Liberal Democrat Leadership Interview

Electoral Reform Society Chief Executive Darren Hughes spoke with Lib Dem leadership candidate Ed Davey Darren Hughes: Ed, thank you...