ERS in the Press: March 2021 The warping effects of First Past the Post were in the news again this month, with the Times’ Patrick Maguire penning a piece on the ‘one-party fiefdoms’ that plague our politics. Darren Hughes, responded with... Posted 15 Apr 2021
Hereditary Peers highlight the absurdity of our system and the case for reform Momentum is building for wholesale reform of the House of Lords, as hereditary peerages are under public scrutiny after a Sunday Times report shed light on the absurdity of inherited titles – twenty years after... Posted 26 Mar 2021
Why are there still hereditary peers in the House of Lords? The ancient triumvirate of the British constitution – the Monarchy, the Lords and the Commons – is a historical trait whose origins can be traced all the way back to the 11th century. Such history... Posted 05 Mar 2021
MPs step up parliamentary push for electoral reform with new cross-party campaign MPs have launched a fresh effort to reform Westminster’s undemocratic voting laws, with a new all-party group pushing for change. The cross-party group – the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Electoral Reform – is working towards... Posted 12 Feb 2021
An unenviable milestone – we must stop the bloat of our oversized second chamber This week the House of Lords hit an unenviable milestone – once again topping over 800 members following Boris Johnson’s latest round of appointments. Some barriers are meant to be broken but having 800 members... Posted 12 Feb 2021
Activists are calling on Keir Starmer to back ambitious political reform, following a key Labour report Leading Labour figures and democracy campaigners have urged the Labour party to get behind major political reform, following the launch of a new party-commissioned roadmap for constitutional change. Posted 05 Feb 2021
Why we need more than piecemeal reform of the House of Lords The House of Lords is back in the spotlight, with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown saying that replacing the House of Lords with an elected senate of the nations and regions should form part of... Posted 03 Feb 2021
7 democratic developments to watch out for this year What does democracy look like in a pandemic? It’s a question that came up a lot last year – and 2021 seems no different. This year could see some major developments when it comes to... Posted 18 Jan 2021
Five times the ERS set the news agenda in 2020 Despite the difficulties of 2020, the ERS kept up the pressure and make the case for political reform in a crowded news cycle. From promoting our key campaigns through our analysis of the 2019 election... Posted 13 Jan 2021
What is the House of Lords Appointments Commission? A little-known non-departmental public body, the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC), has recently been thrust into the spotlight, following the Prime Minister’s latest round of appointments to the House of Lords (if you weren’t... Posted 12 Jan 2021