New law restores fairer voting system for mayoral electionsOn 29 April 2026, the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill received Royal Assent. This means that it has passed all stages of its parliamentary progress, through the House of Commons and House of Lords...Posted 30 Apr 2026
Hereditary peers have left the Lords for the last timeSometimes change arrives with fanfare. Sometimes it arrives quietly, after years of argument, delay and unfinished business. This week, the final hereditary peers lost their automatic right to sit and vote in the House of...Posted 30 Apr 2026
Why we need to change the way we elect our councillors in England and WalesDiscussions around changing the voting system often refer to Westminster, yet the same problems that stifle the government of the UK apply at a much more local level. Just like in Parliament, councils across England...Posted 28 Apr 2026
England’s previous local elections show what’s wrong with our voting systemTime and time again, England’s local elections repeatedly produce results that simply don’t reflect how people vote. If you live in England, you might be casting a vote for your councillors in a local election...Posted 27 Apr 2026
How Scotland’s Holyrood elections work will work this MayThe 2024 General Election in Scotland was a one-sided affair. Scottish Labour won 35.3% of the vote in Scotland and 64.9% of the available seats. While the SNP came a narrow second place on 30%...Posted 23 Apr 2026
We should fix our voting system, not force people to use itThis week, the Telegraph has published an article debating the merits of compulsory voting. Partly inspired by the approaching first anniversary of the launch of the Campaign for Compulsory Voting, the Telegraph’s research shows that...Posted 23 Apr 2026
Polling breakdown from March 2026: Latest polls see continued fragmentationSince February 2025, we at the Electoral Reform Society have been collecting data on UK general election voting intention polls published by British Polling Council (BPC) members. The year since has seen the continuation of...Posted 02 Apr 2026
There is a new way of voting at the Senedd election this May. How does it work?Whatever happens in May, the next Senedd election is set to be historic. For instance, recent polling has pointed to the chance that Labour might not be the largest party in the Senedd for the...Posted 02 Apr 2026
While the UK is making voting more accessible, the US is cracking downCurrently, the UK is reassessing our restrictive voter ID laws. The Representation of the People Bill, if passed, would see an expansion of the types of accepted voter ID – making voting more accessible. Whilst...Posted 02 Apr 2026
Former Prime Minister John Major questions the ‘validity’ of First Past the PostThere has been a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform recently, in the guise of former Prime Minister John Major. The Conservative politician has questioned the “validity” of the First Past the Post...Posted 01 Apr 2026