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Questioning New Zealand’s proportional system led to questions about the prime minister’s position

New Zealand heads to the polls on November 7 and as a country with similar political traditions to the UK, it is always worth looking at what is happening. The parties that loosely make up the two...

Posted 12 Aug 2026

Most Kiwis consider the voting system a settled matter

What does an independent commission on electoral reform need to succeed?

The idea of an independent commission on electoral reform has been gaining traction lately, with nearly 200 MPs calling for one. But with a prime minister who understands the need for a fair voting system,...

Posted 06 Aug 2026

To create a change that lasts, the process needs to be trusted

What do the UK political polling averages for July 2026 point to?

July saw the transition from one UK Prime Minister to another for the fifth time since 2019. Andy Burnham stepped through the threshold of Number 10, followed by a flurry of announcements on various issues...

Posted 05 Aug 2026

There is only a 13 point 9 point gap between the 1st and 5th placed parties

Anas Sarwar’s appointment exposes the problem at the heart of the House of Lords

Andy Burnham began his Premiership with promises of change and a break with the past way of doing politics. Which is why one of his government’s first decisions deserves scrutiny. Anas Sarwar, the outgoing leader...

Posted 05 Aug 2026

A seat in the House of Lords lasts a lifetime

Denmark’s three-day democracy festival that attracts over 65,000 visitors

I had the opportunity to visit Denmark’s democracy festival, Folkemødet, (translated as the People’s Meeting), this June. Representatives from Perth and Kinross council, Argyll and Bute council and I, swapped the Scottish summer rain for the...

Posted 30 Jul 2026

healthy democracies depend on strong communities

What political finance changes are coming in?

Back in 2015 we published Deal or No Deal which looked at public attitudes to political finance following the failed cross-party talks on implementing the Committee on Standards in Public Life recommendations, including a cap...

Posted 29 Jul 2026

The global ultra-rich can effectively buy political parties outright

Proposed Italian electoral law would remove First Past the Post seats – but it’s not all good news

For much of the post-war period, Italy was famous for having a very proportional electoral system – but this all changed in 1993 when they created a system that mixed First Past the Post and...

Posted 27 Jul 2026

Any bloc with more than 42% of the vote would get up to 70 bonus seats

In Andy Burnham we have the first prime minister who openly backs proportional representation

Andy Burnham’s rise to Downing Street means that for the first time in modern history we have a prime minister who is openly committed to proportional representation. In recent years the new Labour leader has...

Posted 20 Jul 2026

I am a strong supporter of electoral reform

What legacy does Keir Starmer leave on democratic and electoral reform?

This week we are witnessing an increasingly familiar sight – a change of prime minister. Keir Starmer has left office just over two years after winning a landslide and made way for Andy Burnham. During...

Posted 20 Jul 2026

It is clear there is still a lot more to do

The problem with tactical voting in Britain’s multi-party politics

At election time, millions of us arrive at the polling station in a conflicted state of mind – do I vote for the party I most believe in, or do I vote tactically to influence...

Posted 15 Jul 2026