News and Comment

The latest news and commentary from the Electoral Reform Society.

Around the World | Current Affairs Commentary | Developments at the ERS | Your Questions Answered | Case Studies

View by category

View by date

Every vote counts in the Tasmanian election

This article is a guest post by Ralph Hall, previously Coordinator of the National Coalition for Proportional Representation, who has also held a range of other electoral system roles in both the UK and New...

Posted 17 Jul 2025

In saturdays election Tasmanian voters will have the beenfit of using the single transgerable vote

We called, they listened: Government confirms historic democratic reforms

In a statement to parliament today, the democracy minister set out the changes the government plans to make in the forthcoming elections bill. Last week we set out what we hoped to see in the...

Posted 17 Jul 2025

we are going to see some hugely positive steps towards improving our democracy

Should the House of Lords be Reformed?

The bill to remove all 88 hereditary peers from the House of Lords is making its way through the House of Lords itself, and their removal is now imminent. But while we are finally set...

Posted 17 Jul 2025

Reforming the House of Lords isn't just about modernising a relic, it's about making our democracy fit for purpose.

Government decision to restore Supplementary Vote system elections is a big win for voters

Today we can celebrate a big win in the fight for a fairer democracy. The government has announced in its English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill that it will be scrapping First Past the Post...

Posted 10 Jul 2025

Fairer results and real representation: 25 years of PR on the London Assembly

Today marks 25 years since the London Assembly was formally launched. This means, a quarter of a century ago, the people of London gained a new voice – and an ability to elect their new...

Posted 03 Jul 2025

The government are introducing a new bill to reform elections – here’s what we want to see

One year on from the General Election and we are eagerly awaiting the government’s Elections Bill, expected to be tabled in the next session of this parliament. The bill is likely to contain measures, promised...

Posted 03 Jul 2025

One year on from the General Election, the case for fair votes is stronger than ever

The fourth of July marks one year since the General Election of 2024. That election saw the most disproportional outcome in United Kingdom (UK) electoral history, with Labour winning a landslide House of Commons majority...

Posted 03 Jul 2025

A quarter of a million voices are calling for House of Lords reform

We have hit a significant milestone in our campaign to reform the House of Lords: over a quarter of a million people have now signed our petition calling for the second chamber of our Parliament...

Posted 26 Jun 2025

A quarter of a million voice. One clear message. It's time to finish the job on Lords reform.

Support for proportional representation hits record high according to new research

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has, this week, published the latest findings from their British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey. The survey has been conducted almost every year since its launch in 1983 and...

Posted 25 Jun 2025

“60% of the British public support proportional representation”

Is there a limit to political donations in the UK?

Political parties cost money to run. In the UK, they’re funded by a variety of sources, including membership fees, grants, and donations. Donations come from individuals, companies, and trade unions. The Electoral Commission reported that...

Posted 04 Jun 2025