Our top 5 most read blogs of 2017

Author:
Doug Cowan, Head of Digital

Posted on the 20th December 2017

This time of year, we take a look back on our most popular articles of the year. A lot has happened: snap elections, threats to impose first-past-the-post and the ever-reliable annual House of Lords scandal.

But what were you, our dear reader, most interested in this year? Here’s our top 5 countdown…

No ID no Entry

5) Compulsory voter ID would only add to Britain’s democratic deficit

In fifth place, was the festive attempt to make it harder to vote, in the form of the Pickles Review into Electoral Fraud, released on the 27th December 2016. The review correctly found that there was little evidence of electoral fraud (just 0.00005% of votes cast), but then decided that we should make it harder to vote anyway.

4) The House of Lords is a rolling expenses scandal – now politicians must act

In fourth place, we have our latest review of the House of Lords. We had a close look at what peers get up to in the House of Lords, and found some shocking results. 33 peers had claimed nearly half a million pounds between them while failing to speak, table a written question or serve on a committee in the past year.

You Did It! Parliament to Debate Fair Votes

3) You did it: Parliament is going to debate adopting fair votes

In third place was the successful drive to get 100,000 signatures on the petition for a debate on proportional representation. With the help of thousands of supporters, we smashed through the required number.

Imposing first past the post

2) The Conservatives just pledged to take our democracy back decades

In second place was the shocking news that the Conservatives were planning to take advantage of their lead in the polls to drag our democracy backwards. Pledges in the Conservatives’ ultimately unpopular manifesto included one to impose first-past-the-post on voters in Mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections around the country. Even more outrageous were rumours that they also planned to override the referendum that set up the London Assembly and impose first-past-the-post there.

2017 election report

1) June’s election was the third strike for Westminster’s voting system. It’s out

In first place, we have the third election in a row where first-past-the-post failed to give one party a large majority. From coalition in 2010 to a slim majority in 2015 then back to a confidence-and-supply agreement in 2017, first-past-the-post fails in the one thing its supporters say they want. Our 2017 election report laid bare the shockingly high levels of tactical voting and volatility that our electoral system creates.

We’d like to thank all our supporters for their help in the last year and a very Happy Christmas. 2018 is going to be another busy year, if you would like to get more involved you can join as a member or make a donation. Every penny helps in the campaign for fair votes.

Read our annual report

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