Parliament is considering turning its back on new ways of working Both houses of Parliament have long been associated with inaccessibility, with working patterns designed around the diaries of married, middle-aged men. MPs who were ill, pregnant or hundreds of miles away in their constituencies often... Posted 26 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
Top 10 must-read stories from the Electoral Reform Society in 2020 The pandemic has cast its shadow over everything this year – and issues of democracy are no exception. We’ve seen the effects of a super-centralised political system, leading to clashes between the nations and regions... Posted 18 Dec 2020
How MPs are being effectively locked out of Parliament during the pandemic Commons leader Jacob Rees Mogg has announced a partial return to remote proceedings for MPs, after the shocking case of ex-Minister Tracey Crouch – who has cancer – being unable to contribute to a debate... Posted 16 Nov 2020
ERS in the Press – October 2020 This month has seen a renewed interest in proportional representation internationally. Willie Sullivan backed up the case for a fairer voting system in Canada, drawing on his experience in Scotland. “If you want a system... Posted 29 Oct 2020
Voters risk being locked out – unless this crucial change is made When the ‘virtual Parliament’ was launched at the end of April, the UK was witnessing around 5,000 new coronavirus cases a day. The first wave subsided. But now, we are seeing over 15,000 new cases... Posted 20 Oct 2020
Our elections watchdog needs strengthening, not scrapping You’d think given the rising tide of disinformation, dodgy donations and dark ads online, the government might be getting serious about empowering our elections watchdog. Instead, the Conservative Party has actually issued a call to... Posted 03 Sep 2020
Scotland’s loophole ridden lobbying laws are in need of an urgent upgrade Wealth and power can get people access and influence that normal citizens can only imagine. It is, after all, why lobbying is a multi-million pound industry. That's why transparency is so vital. Posted 17 Aug 2020
Avoiding an ‘elective dictatorship’: How Parliament can learn from the pandemic From virtual contributions to debates, to remote voting, the House of Commons showed that it could modernise quickly when faced with a health emergency. Posted 16 Jul 2020