House of Lords – Let’s break open this private members’ club once and for all As I write, Lords are pouring into The Queen’s Robing Room to select a new member to join them for life. If that sounds like the bizarre initiation ceremony of a private members’ club, you’d... Posted 23 Jan 2019
Five New Year’s resolutions ministers should be signing up to If 2018 has shown us anything, it’s that the debates over the state of our democracy are as crucial as ever. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the controversial ID trials at the local elections,... Posted 31 Dec 2018
What we learnt from the ERS Members and Supporters Conference 2018 On the first weekend in December, ERS members and supporters came together for the Society’s Annual Conference and AGM. The majority of the day was made up of workshop sessions, where ERS staff led discussions on... Posted 21 Dec 2018
Our top 5 most read blogs of 2018 This time of year, we take a look back on our most popular articles of the year. A lot has happened: But what were you, our dear reader, most interested in this year? Here’s our... Posted 20 Dec 2018
The Burns Report – Where Are We One Year On? Mariya Green reflects on some of the research undertaken during her placement at the ERS The report of the Lord Speaker’s Committee on the Size of the House of Lords – more commonly known as... Posted 11 Dec 2018
ERS in the Press – November 2018 Here is just a highlight of the coverage our campaigns have received in the press this month. MPs call for end to ‘political gender gap’ at Westminster We coordinated the media for the Centenary Action Group’s campaign... Posted 30 Nov 2018
Why are there Bishops in the House of Lords? When most people think of Bishops they imagine a man or woman saying prayers in a cathedral, not making the laws that govern all of us. But there are Bishops today who sit in the... Posted 29 Nov 2018
A so-called by-election is showing the Lords up as a disaster for democracy Here’s a strange fact, a week ahead of the centenary of women’s right to stand for Parliament: 90 seats in the Palace of Westminster are effectively reserved for men. Voting has just begun for the... Posted 15 Nov 2018
Lords lost in stasis as fake reforms go nowhere Politics is often dominated by disagreements, but one thing almost everyone agrees on is this: the House of Lords is too big. At 800 members, we have the largest second chamber in the world. So... Posted 02 Nov 2018
Inside the backbench burial ground of Private Members’ Bills Most of the legislation that Parliament passes is introduced and backed by the government. But for thirteen Fridays in each parliamentary session, backbenchers steer the agenda. For those days, Private Members’ Bills have precedence over... Posted 31 Oct 2018