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Denmark’s three-day democracy festival that attracts over 65,000 visitors

I had the opportunity to visit Denmark’s democracy festival, Folkemødet, (translated as the People’s Meeting), this June. Representatives from Perth and Kinross council, Argyll and Bute council and I, swapped the Scottish summer rain for the...

Posted 30 Jul 2026

healthy democracies depend on strong communities

What political finance changes are coming in?

Back in 2015 we published Deal or No Deal which looked at public attitudes to political finance following the failed cross-party talks on implementing the Committee on Standards in Public Life recommendations, including a cap...

Posted 29 Jul 2026

The global ultra-rich can effectively buy political parties outright

Proposed Italian electoral law would remove First Past the Post seats – but it’s not all good news

For much of the post-war period, Italy was famous for having a very proportional electoral system – but this all changed in 1993 when they created a system that mixed First Past the Post and...

Posted 27 Jul 2026

Any bloc with more than 42% of the vote would get up to 70 bonus seats

In Andy Burnham we have the first prime minister who openly backs proportional representation

Andy 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

I am a strong supporter of electoral reform

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

It is clear there is still a lot more to do

The problem with tactical voting in Britain’s multi-party politics

At 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

It feels unlikely that we will see a return to two party politics any time soon

Wales becomes the first UK nation to introduce Automatic Voter Registration

Last 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

Automatic Voter Registration will create a level playing

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

There is nothing more unstoppable than an idea whose time has come and PRs time has come

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