Foreign influence, not voter fraud, is the biggest threat to our democracy “Do we need to start messaging ‘widespread reports of election fraud’, so we are positively set up for the recount regardless of the final number?” wrote one Republican businessman earlier this year. “Yes” came the... Posted 12 Nov 2018
The threat of dark money goes beyond Brexit Two and a half years on from the EU referendum, the result is still being discussed and debated. Arguably more important though is another story: whether the rules of the game are bust. The weekend... Posted 07 Nov 2018
ERS in the Press – October 2018 This month we’ve had some fantastic coverage of our issues in the press, here’s just a highlight. Calls to lower UK voting age as Welsh assembly considers change. Our call for a “united franchise” –... Posted 30 Oct 2018
Why we can’t leave our democracy at the whim of tech giants like Facebook Another vote is never far away. But even outside of election time, campaigning rumbles on. Each day, a lot of cash is spent influencing political debate. These days though, that’s not just people delivering leaflets... Posted 25 Oct 2018
We can’t leave political transparency to the whim of big tech firms: it’s time for a campaign overhaul When an election is just around the corner, there are several tell-tale signs: politicians incessantly visiting factories, thousands of signs strapped to lampposts, and tensions mounting at the dinner table. And there are the flyers.... Posted 23 Oct 2018
Are we about to witness an ‘arms race’ in Brexit spending? Over the weekend, the co-founder of the Superdry fashion label donated £1m to the People’s vote campaign, with the funds set to be used to conduct “one of the most detailed polling exercises ever undertaken... Posted 21 Aug 2018
Long Read: What’s gone wrong with our democracy – and how do we fix it? This is a time of high political anxiety. No one seems to be very sure of much anymore. Not that long ago it all seemed so different. The twentieth century was a time of tremendous... Posted 14 Aug 2018
Our democracy faces many threats – but the government has picked the wrong priority It’s not just campaigners saying it any more: democracy is officially at risk, according to parliament’s digital, culture, media and sport committee. Britain’s main campaign rules were drawn up in the late 1990s, before social... Posted 02 Aug 2018
In these divided times, a new consensus is emerging around our broken election laws Fresh off the back of our call for Parliament to take action on Britain’s analogue-age campaign rules – and the launch of our petition for an end to ‘dark ads’ – commentators and public figures... Posted 31 Jul 2018
Why it’s time to shine a light on ‘dark ads’ online Following a request by the Culture Media and Sport committee, Facebook has revealed the EU referendum adverts paid for by Vote Leave and created by Aggregate IQ. In the modern world of campaigning, political parties and campaigns can... Posted 30 Jul 2018