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Where is Single Transferable Vote used in the UK?

Whilst First Past the Post is used for Westminster elections in the UK, it’s not the only way we elect people to office in the UK. Other voting systems have a long history and are...

Posted 29 Mar 2024

MPs and Peers recognise the benefits of STV when they are the voters

Who invented the Single Transferable Vote?

The Electoral Reform Society has long held up the Single Transferable Vote as the gold standard for proportional representation. It’s a way of electing our representatives that produces a proportional chamber, and hands power to...

Posted 06 Mar 2024

We have long held up the Single Transferable Vote (STV) as the gold standard for proportional representation

Why an elected second chamber won’t lead to gridlock

Looking across the Atlantic at America’s Senate, it’s clear why concerns are often expressed that an elected second chamber may challenge the primacy of the House of Commons and at the extreme end, result in...

Posted 19 Feb 2024

Electing the second chamber doesnt itself lead to more conflict

How many hung parliaments has the UK had?

Westminster’s First Past the Post (FPTP) system often results in some parties gaining far more seats than their vote share deserves. But there is no guarantee that this un-earned ‘bonus’ always means one party gets...

Posted 14 Feb 2024

First Past the Post has often failed to live up to its supporters promises

What is a Senate of the Regions and Nations?

Over the years many parties and groups have suggested ideas for reform of the House of Lords. Recently, the Labour party has suggested that the House of Lords should be replaced with a ‘Senate of...

Posted 01 Feb 2024

A Senate of the Regions and Nations could provide a far stronger voice for the whole of the UK

What is the role of the House of Lords and could it do more?

While the House of Lords is often in the press, it’s often due to the things its members should not be doing, rather than the work it does do. The chamber though has an important...

Posted 29 Jan 2024

A ‘defeat’ in the House of Lords is very different to a defeat in the Commons

Which is the best electoral system for the House of Lords?

Whenever the issue of creating an elected Second Chamber comes up, a common question is how it should be elected. Thankfully, one of the areas of agreement on Lords reform over the years has been...

Posted 27 Dec 2023

The benefits of proportional representation for a reformed House of Lords are clear

How many peers are there in the House of Lords – and how many does it need?

One of the unique features of our currently second chamber, apart from it being unelected and still partially based on inherited titles, is that its membership is huge. At over 800 peers in total, not...

Posted 21 Dec 2023

At over 800 peers in total, it dwarfs all other second chambers around the world

Why independent candidates win with the Single Transferable Vote

Currently, there are 14 independent MPs in the House of Commons, which might seem to suggest Independent candidates can win under First-Past-The-Post (FPTP). But these MPs are only independent because they were suspended from their...

Posted 01 Nov 2023

When voters have an electoral system that works for them, Independent councillors get elected

Proportional representation helped women get elected in 2022

In January 2023, the global proportion of women parliamentarians just was 26.5%, indicating that there’s a way to go before we have equal numbers of men and women in parliament around the world. While quotas...

Posted 27 Jul 2023