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Making it easier for unpopular candidates to become Mayors turns back the clock

These are deeply concerning plans to change our elections.

Posted 18 Mar 2021

With all the challenges facing the country right now why is this on the priority list

What can we learn from the evolution of English devolution?

There has been considerable discussion about the ‘Union’ and efforts to save it in recent months, given the increasing support for nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales, and growing talk of a border poll in...

Posted 09 Mar 2021

Successful devolution requires genuine public involvement from the bottom-up

Wales’ planning for the May elections is a welcome contrast to Westminster

Key decisions on May's elections in Wales will be driven by consensus and cooperation, rather than ministerial diktat.

Posted 15 Feb 2021

Finally, some clarity on England’s local elections

UK ministers have finally confirmed that local elections in England will go ahead on the 6th of May, after being delayed in 2020 due to the pandemic. Here's what we know.

Posted 05 Feb 2021

In Wales and Scotland there has been far greater transparency

What is going on with England’s May elections?

This past week we’ve seen a dizzying array of conflicting reports for the government’s plans for May’s polls, with Conservative party figures suggesting delays are likely, despite official advice that plans are unchanged but ‘under...

Posted 21 Jan 2021

Elections are fundamental to democracy and must be properly managed

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

Democracy delayed? Voters and officials need clarity now on England’s May elections

Toby James, University of East Anglia and Alistair Clark, Newcastle University Which activities are essential during a pandemic? Across England, school buildings have been closed, as have many shops, businesses and sports facilities. So what...

Posted 08 Jan 2021

Urgent and decisive action is needed immediately

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

Boris Johnson might not like devolution but it’s vital for his levelling up plan

This article was originally published on inews.co.uk. You could dismiss the comments as classic Boris Johnson bluster. But they vocalise what the views of too many in Westminster when it comes to the devolved nations....

Posted 27 Nov 2020

the Prime Minister should be exploring new ways to give power to local communities

Welsh Parliament to vote on letting councils scrap first past the post

Local government is one of our most important layers of representation, delivering everyday frontline services such as social care and waste collection. Yet, for many people local government doesn’t feel that representative and that’s because...

Posted 17 Nov 2020