In Andy Burnham we have the first prime minister who openly backs proportional representationAndy Burnham’s rise to Downing Street means that for the first time in modern history we have a prime minister who is openly committed to proportional representation. In recent years the new Labour leader has...Posted 20 Jul 2026
What legacy does Keir Starmer leave on democratic and electoral reform?This week we are witnessing an increasingly familiar sight – a change of prime minister. Keir Starmer has left office just over two years after winning a landslide and made way for Andy Burnham. During...Posted 20 Jul 2026
The problem with tactical voting in Britain’s multi-party politicsAt election time, millions of us arrive at the polling station in a conflicted state of mind – do I vote for the party I most believe in, or do I vote tactically to influence...Posted 15 Jul 2026
What did the YouGov, Opinium and Survation polling say for June 2026?June was a very eventful month in British politics. Andy Burnham won the most consequential UK parliamentary by-election for decades, in Makerfield, precipitating Keir Starmer’s announcement that he would step down as Prime Minister. On...Posted 06 Jul 2026
Wales becomes the first UK nation to introduce Automatic Voter RegistrationLast week, the Welsh Government laid new regulations to introduce Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) across all 22 Welsh local authorities ahead of the 2027 local elections. This marks a significant moment for Welsh democracy, making...Posted 01 Jul 2026
What has Andy Burnham said about the voting system?Westminster has, once again, been engulfed in high theatre. The Prime Minister stood aside on Monday announcing a two-week departure timetable. Hours later, Andy Burnham hopped on the train to take his Commons seat and...Posted 25 Jun 2026
What is the Supplementary Vote, and why is it being used in Manchester?On Thursday 30 July, Greater Manchester will be electing a new mayor. The by-election follows Andy Burnham’s decision to return to Westminster, but it’s not just the mayor who will be changing. The way the...Posted 24 Jun 2026
Keir Starmer’s resignation is the latest product of the chaos of First Past the PostToday Keir Starmer announced he will be resigning as Prime Minister. It is hard to overstate how remarkable that is. His government won 63% of all MPs on just 34% of the vote in 2024,...Posted 22 Jun 2026
The difference between proportional and preferential voting systems – and why it mattersWhen is an electoral reform not proportional? That question matters because support for scrapping First Past the Post is growing, yet not every alternative would solve Westminster’s central democratic problem: Parliaments that don’t reflect how...Posted 11 Jun 2026
Polling Breakdown: What did the UK polls say in May 2026?At the start of May, many eyes were looking towards the elections taking place across large areas of England, as well as in Scotland and Wales, for a sense of what it meant for party...Posted 04 Jun 2026