This Saturday we held our largest members and supporters conference and AGM for many years – topping off what has been a great campaigning year for the ERS.
It was a fantastic success, and it was wonderful to have so many members and supporters in one room – including lots of people new to the campaign for fair votes. If you managed to make it, thanks for coming!
As well as policy workshops, Q&As and discussions, we presented our annual report for 2016 – detailing everything we’ve been doing over the past year.
Read it online here
To pick out a few examples, this year our focus on the quality of the EU referendum campaign put us at the heart of the UK’s most significant political event. And we have also looked at the global picture, keenly engaging with electoral reform efforts in Canada and the US state of Maine.
Throughout our work across the London, Edinburgh and Cardiff offices we have continued to bring fresh perspectives and practical ideas to our campaign for a better democracy.
At a time when politics everywhere feels unstable, when politicians are seeking new responses to uncertainty, and when more and more people are convinced that democracy is not working as it should, the Electoral Reform Society’s work is more relevant than ever.
We also found the time to take stock and formulate a new strategic plan right up to 2020. From late 2015 to summer 2016 we engaged in a wide-ranging conversation between staff, Council members, ERS members and supporters, external advisers and key political figures to refresh and renew our strategy.
Our three main goals are to build alliances for electoral reform, to deepen public involvement in our democracy and to win the policy pledges which will help to build a better democracy.
We’ll continue to strive for these next year and beyond.
New ERS Council Chair and Vice Chair
Following four years in the post, Amy Dodd decided to stand down as Chair of the Electoral Reform Society.
We’d like to thank her for all her hard work and welcome the new Chair, Jon Walsh.
As the former Vice Chair, Jon’s new role created a vacancy, with the Council electing board member Justina Cruikshank.
You can find out more about the Council here.
Here’s to another full-on year of campaigning ahead!
Read the ERS’ 2016 Annual Report here