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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

Here To Stay Two Decades of Proportional Representation in Britain

After a council voted to oppose mandatory voter ID, more could follow suit

A council in Scotland will write to the Prime Minister to formally oppose plans to bring in voter ID at future general elections.

Posted 25 Jun 2021

For cash-strapped councils, this policy is an expensive distraction

2021 Elections: Millions of voters to get fair representation through PR

Over 12 million voters have a powerful voice today, with proportional representation used in Wales, Scotland and on the London Assembly.

Posted 06 May 2021

Proportional representation is now firmly established across the UK

This loophole is letting lobbying go under the radar in Scotland

A major loophole in Scotland’s lobbying register is undermining transparency – with voters left in the dark about lobbying during the pandemic.

Posted 04 Mar 2021

There should be no off-switch for transparency

Scotland’s ground-breaking Citizens’ Assembly has wrapped up. What’s next?

Scotland’s first Citizens’ Assembly, a deliberative body made up of 100 citizens reflecting the country’s demographics, concluded in January and published its visions for the future of Scotland. Citizens’ Assemblies which aim to create ‘mini-publics’...

Posted 09 Feb 2021

People want democracy on the agenda at the May elections

Scotland’s local democracy is not an optional extra

The experience of the covid-19 crisis has served to underline and strengthen the case ERS Scotland has long been making for a revamped local democracy. The work undertaken in recent years – alongside a range...

Posted 14 Jan 2021

Thriving, empowered communities develop the foundations for long term prosperity

It’s time to put deliberation at the heart of Scottish politics

Last Saturday the final session of the Citizen’s Assembly of Scotland concluded. The assembly, the largest deliberative event in Scotland’s history brought together ordinary people to deliberate over the issues that will shape Scotland. As...

Posted 12 Dec 2020

A House of Citizens could revolutionise Scottish democracy

Building a better democracy – 2020 and the Electoral Reform Society

It’s hard to think of a more troubling year in living memory. But the public health crisis has, perhaps counter-intuitively, put issues of democracy at the forefront. The election may feel like a distant memory,...

Posted 07 Dec 2020

As the Scottish Government closes the ‘dark ads’ loophole, Westminster must follow suit

For too long now, online political campaigning in Britain has gone effectively unregulated – to the benefit of well-funded, secretive groups, and to the detriment of voters. Despite the rapid rise of online political ads as a campaign tool, governments...

Posted 29 Oct 2020

2019 must be the last election with voters left in the dark

The Citizen’s Assembly of Scotland can help shape our post-Covid future

Scotland’s first Citizens’ Assembly met last week for the first time since March. Like many social events and workplaces, the deliberative body, made up of 100 citizens reflecting Scotland’s demographics, has moved online after being...

Posted 23 Sep 2020