For local democracy to flourish our representatives need the power to deliver New ERS research finds over two-thirds of councillors feel they lack the powers to represent the needs of their local community. Local government is at the front line of our democracy. It’s the closest level... Posted 10 Mar 2022
Democracy Made in England: Where Next for English Local Government? In the context of the changing nature of UK governance, England remains an anomaly. While the centres of power in the rest of the UK have shifted away from Westminster over the last two decades,... Posted 09 Mar 2022
How do Westminster election results compare to those of devolved institutions? This May, the sixth set of elections took place for each of the devolved institutions in the nations of Britain – the Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) and the London Assembly. It was a... Posted 20 Aug 2021
Here to Stay: Two Decades of Proportional Representation in Britain The 6 May 2021 was a milestone for the campaign for fairer votes in Britain. The date marked the sixth set of elections to take place for each of Great Britain’s devolved elected institutions –... Posted 31 Jul 2021
The PM’s ‘Levelling Up’ agenda is another victim of Westminster’s warped electoral logic The Prime Minister’s Levelling Up agenda – announced with great fanfare on Thursday – risks leaving swathes of the country ignored. In not very subtle terms, the PM suggested new powers would only go to ideologically-aligned parts of... Posted 16 Jul 2021
As New Yorkers vote in their first preferential primary, in the UK it is under threat Voters in New York City were able to participate in their first preferential voting (called Ranked Choice Voting or RCV in America) primaries this week, making it the largest-ever American electorate for a preferential voting... Posted 25 Jun 2021
We need to talk about Westminster Debates about the future of the union and devolution to the UK’s nations and regions continue to dominate the constitutional sphere, as we have set out before, with the results of the May 2021 elections... Posted 04 Jun 2021
These government plans will hit 44m voters with less choice and a weaker voice Millions of people went to the polls this Thursday in England and Wales to elect PCCs, plus Combined Authority mayors and the London mayor– using the Supplementary Vote system (SV). Posted 07 May 2021
How elections for the Mayor of London will work On May 6, one year after elections were supposed to be held, more than six million Londoners will be called to the polling stations to elect their mayor (alongside 25 members of the London Assembly)... Posted 01 Apr 2021
Labour and progressive thinkers to present Keir Starmer with vision for ‘real democracy’ Keir Starmer will be presented with a vision for a pro-democracy overhaul of Westminster and the economy on Sunday (21st March), with the release of a new book, The New Foundations. Posted 15 Mar 2021