Majority of councillors vote for STV in Gwynedd, but vote fails to reach high threshold by one vote There was a disappointing outcome in Gwynedd this afternoon as we just fell short in winning the council’s vote on changing the voting system to the Single Transferable Vote (STV) by a single vote. The... Posted 24 Oct 2024
Positive statements on restoring the electoral system for Mayors and PCCs There have been positive noises from government ministers on repairing one part of the damage done to our democracy by the previous government. At the Local Government Association conference this week, government minister Jim McMahon... Posted 24 Oct 2024
It’s 3 for 3! Residents’ consultation in Ceredigion is the third to back fair votes under STV There was more fantastic news out of Wales today, as Ceredigion County Council released the results of their consultation on whether to change the voting system used at local elections to the fairer Single Transferable... Posted 23 Oct 2024
Allowing veteran cards for voting is a positive step, but it’s not enough We have long argued that the list of acceptable forms of voter ID is extremely limited. So it is good news that the Government have announced that they’ll be expanding the list to include HM... Posted 17 Oct 2024
Hereditary Peers: Thank you for your contribution, and goodnight Last night, the first debate of the Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill happened in the House of Commons. The Bill, if passed, will remove the remaining 92 Peers who sit in our House of Lords purely... Posted 16 Oct 2024
Surprising Conservative leadership vote shows that voting systems matter James Cleverly must have thought he was in with a chance of winning the leadership of the Conservative Party, in the lead, as he was, on the last vote of Conservative MPs. But, the ballots... Posted 09 Oct 2024
Freebies are just the tip of the Iceberg when it comes to money in politics The recent cacophony surrounding ‘freebies’ given by Labour party donors to Labour MPs since 2019 is just the latest in a long stream of financial scandals coming out of Westminster. It’s not just an issue... Posted 09 Oct 2024
Gwynedd consultation backs STV with nearly three quarters in favour There was some fantastic news out of Gwynedd last week, as Cyngor Gwynedd released the results of its consultation on whether to change the voting system used at local elections. The results weren’t even close,... Posted 08 Oct 2024
General Election result prompts renewed electoral reform debate at Conservative Party conference The Conservative conference this year was dominated by the leadership contest, with the four remaining candidates making their pitches to MPs and members this week in Birmingham. Meanwhile, at the fringe events there was a... Posted 02 Oct 2024
Jubilation and strong support for electoral reform at the Liberal Democrat’s 2024 conference There was a jubilant atmosphere at the Liberal Democrat conference this week. The number 72 – the number of MPs the party now has – was everywhere. It appeared in every speech, to raucous applause,... Posted 18 Sep 2024