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Government inaction has left the door ‘wide open’ to foreign interference in UK politics

Electoral loopholes are leaving the door wide open to foreign interference, the ERS’ Darren Hughes has said, following the release of the Intelligence and Security Committee’s Russia Report this week. Darren Hughes told the BBC...

Posted 23 Jul 2020

New inquiry launched into Britain’s ‘wild west’ electoral laws

Anyone with an interest in bringing campaign rules into the 21st century can make a submission.

Posted 08 Jun 2020

Lies, damned lies, and the lockdown: Stopping misinformation amid a pandemic

In the middle of a global health pandemic, misinformation can prove fatal.

Posted 30 Apr 2020

How do we tackle the ‘infodemic’ of misinformation around coronavirus?

How do we tackle misinformation around coronavirus?

Posted 27 Apr 2020

New report shows why Britain’s campaign rules need an overhaul before next May

New analysis of the 2019 General Election has highlighted major pressures on Britain’s electoral process.

Posted 23 Apr 2020

Britain’s campaign laws leave our elections open to fake news and manipulation

December’s election was the third Westminster election in four years. Each one of those has highlighted a growing crisis facing the UK’s electoral politics. In an article published by The Guardian, Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower Brittany...

Posted 29 Jan 2020

Parties and third-party campaigners spent around £5.9 million on Facebook

What does the Electoral Commission do?

The Electoral Commission is an independent body established in 2001. Its mandate is limited by what is set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000 and subsequent amendments. The Electoral Commission...

Posted 09 Dec 2019

The Electoral Commission is not an all-encompassing democracy watchdog

Google starts to open up on political ads – but who’s setting the rules?

New rules have just come into force at Google, banning political ads which target the public based on their political affiliations. (Targeting on the basis of age, gender and general location will be allowed to...

Posted 26 Nov 2019