Victory as Ceredigion joins Powys and Gwynedd with STV consultation There was fantastic news for voters coming out of Ceredigion last week, as their County Council voted YES to a public consultation on scrapping First Past the Post for their elections and bringing in the... Posted 25 Mar 2024
Vote splitting trick won’t work with Scotland’s Single Transferable Vote On March 7th voters in Hillhead in Glasgow will be heading to the polls for a council by-election. Among those standing are candidates from the Scottish Greens and Independent Green Voice (IGV) – plenty of... Posted 04 Mar 2024
Change to London mayoral elections complicates thinking for independent candidates Over the weekend The Sun reported on rumours that Paul Scully MP, the former Conservative Minister for London, was considering running as an independent candidate for London mayor. We can’t comment on whether these Tory... Posted 05 Feb 2024
24 years ago the Greater London Authority Act gained royal assent This weekend (11th November) marks the 24th anniversary of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 gaining royal assent. The Greater London Authority, comprising the Mayor of London and the London Assembly, was first elected in... Posted 10 Nov 2023
First Past the Post in mayoral elections means less choice and a weaker voice This week, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said he is facing his ‘toughest election yet’ but why is that? When Labour have a national polling majority of somewhere in the region of 20... Posted 02 Nov 2023
Why independent candidates win with the Single Transferable Vote Currently, there are 14 independent MPs in the House of Commons, which might seem to suggest Independent candidates can win under First-Past-The-Post (FPTP). But these MPs are only independent because they were suspended from their... Posted 01 Nov 2023
ERS Scotland makes the case for local democracy innovation at Scottish Greens’ Conference When citizens come together to make plans about the place they know best, Scotland’s towns, cities and villages can flourish. But what democratic systems would allow this to happen? And is Dunfermline the right place... Posted 01 Nov 2023
Lesley Riddoch’s State of Scottish Democracy lecture Thank you to everyone who made it along to hear author and broadcaster, Lesley Riddoch, present the second of our annual ERS State of Scottish Democracy lecture. We are pleased to publish a video of... Posted 28 Sep 2023
Northern Ireland’s local elections show the benefit of the Single Transferable Vote On the 18th of May, Northern Ireland’s local elections showcased the continued successful use of the Single Transferable Vote (STV). This inclusive and proportional method stands in stark contrast to the disproportionate results witnessed in... Posted 26 May 2023
How can one party win all the seats in a local council election without all the votes? In May’s 2023 local elections in England, the Liberal Democrats won 72% of the seats on Bath & North East Somerset. In Broxbourne, the Conservatives won 90% of the seats that were up for election.... Posted 11 May 2023