The Reformer

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Electoral Reform in Westminster

What can the UK learn from California’s Prop 50 gerrymandering plan?

A high-stakes fight is underway in the United States over redrawing the constituencies for the House of Representatives in Washington,...

The real fights aren’t across the floor of the Commons but inside the ruling party itself

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Why single-party governments under First Past the Post fail to get things done

For all the talk of “strong government,” the reality of single-party rule under First Past the Post (FPTP) often looks...

Britain deserves an electoral system that treats voters with respect

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Latest YouGov poll shows multi-party Britain breaking the voting system

If there were a general election tomorrow, who would form the next government? It sounds like a simple question if...

This draft Bill demonstrates how easy the change from the closed list system to STV would be

Welsh Parliament

Closed Lists were a misstep, cross-party STV bill would put the Senedd back on track

Wales stands at an important crossroads in its democratic journey. ERS Cymru has developed a proposal to change the way...

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Conservatives mull path back to power at Manchester conference – and the electoral system

There was a notable shift in mood at the Conservative conference this year compared to recent ones. Until last year,...

Electoral Reform in Westminster

Electoral reform takes centre stage at Labour Party conference

Electoral reform took centre stage, literally, at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this year. Andy Burnham was the lead...

Scotlands AMS system doesnt prevent parties from winning if they genuinely earn it

ERS Scotland

Is the Scottish Parliament designed to stop a majority?

As we approach the next Scottish parliamentary election, there’s a familiar narrative creeping into the conversation: that the system of...

Electoral Reform in Westminster

How First Past the Post helped apartheid take hold in South Africa

South Africa’s history shows how an electoral system can change everything. Sometimes, democracy’s biggest dangers aren’t coups or revolutions, but...

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...

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....