Don’t miss the deadline – make sure you’re registered to vote In May 2018, there will be elections for all 32 London boroughs, 35 metropolitan boroughs, 74 district/boroughs, and 20 unitary authorities around England. But thousands of people aren’t on the register and won’t be able... Posted 10 Apr 2018
One simple change could take us much closer to gender equality in politics There can be no doubt that in order to see more women elected to our political institutions, political parties need to stand more women candidates. Yet there is no official information on the diversity of... Posted 04 Apr 2018
A handful of hereditary peers are trying to stifle reform – they are on the wrong side of history Westminster is packed full of peculiar traditions from the Commons’ door being slammed in Black Rod’s face to the ban on MPs clapping. While many of them are relatively harmless, there are others which are... Posted 03 Apr 2018
Three reasons there needs to be a crackdown on the ‘online wild west’ The Cambridge Analytica scandal has rightly shocked people all over the world. The possibility that our personal information may have been ‘harvested’ for political gain, entirely without our knowledge, has made us fearful. As is... Posted 23 Mar 2018
Five ways we can revive our elections in Scotland There is much to admire about the way elections are held in Scotland. Generally speaking, they are transparent, accessible, and ensure seats match how people actually vote at the ballot box. But that isn’t to... Posted 22 Mar 2018
What Cambridge Analytica tells us about our out-dated campaign laws Online campaigning is the 21st century’s wild west – and the Cambridge Analytica saga is a very stark reminder that we have to conquer the new terrain. The main legislation regulating political parties’ campaigning... Posted 22 Mar 2018
Why Voter ID is a solution seeking a problem The government will be trialling making ID mandatory at polling stations this May. Voters in Bromley, Woking and Gosport will have to show officials their papers before being permitted to exercise their right to vote.... Posted 19 Mar 2018
Why the government’s mandatory voter ID plans are a terrible idea The Electoral Commission has launched a new campaign against electoral fraud – a laudable effort to limit this type of crime. But it also brings under the spotlight the upcoming trials of mandatory voter ID... Posted 06 Mar 2018
More votes but fewer seats? Surely you’re joking? Imagine if at the next General Election one party received the most votes, but another – with fewer votes – returned more MPs. It sounds wholly unfair, undemocratic and absurd. But that is exactly what... Posted 05 Mar 2018
The plan to cut MPs looks suspiciously like a power grab Are we witnessing a power grab? Six months ago, reports suggested that the Prime Minister had dropped plans to force through a cut in MPs, a cut linked with the ongoing review of constituency boundaries.... Posted 20 Feb 2018