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What is the difference between D’hondt, Sainte-Laguë and Hare?

Looking at just Party List systems in western Europe, there is a lot of variation.

Posted 27 Jul 2021

What would the party system look like if the UK had proportional representation?

By looking at the experiences of similar countries and the devolved governments, we can see which kinds of party system are most probable given the sorts of voting system that are most likely to be...

Posted 09 Jun 2021

New Zealand’s party system is a strong contender for what might happen if Britain moved to PR

How May’s elections for the Senedd Cymru will work

On May 6, more than 2 million voters will be called to elect their 60 representatives in the Senedd / Welsh Parliament. The Senedd was established in 1999, together with the Scottish Parliament, and holds...

Posted 04 May 2021

How May’s London Assembly elections will work

This May, millions of Londoners will go to the polls to vote for the Mayor and the London Assembly. The London Assembly is the political body that holds the mayor to account and scrutinises their...

Posted 07 Apr 2021

The London-wide vote compensates for the warping effects of First Past the Post

How elections for the Mayor of London will work

On May 6, one year after elections were supposed to be held, more than six million Londoners will be called to the polling stations to elect their mayor (alongside 25 members of the London Assembly)...

Posted 01 Apr 2021

London’s Mayor will be elected using the Supplementary Vote making more votes matter

What is the House of Lords Appointments Commission?

A little-known non-departmental public body, the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC), has recently been thrust into the spotlight, following the Prime Minister’s latest round of appointments to the House of Lords (if you weren’t...

Posted 12 Jan 2021

This is the first time that the Commissions advice has been ignored

Who benefits from Westminster’s First Past the Post voting system?

Westminster's voting system hurts voters. Here's how.

Posted 29 Apr 2020

Voters of all parties suffered in some part of the UK

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

What is proportional representation?

Parties from across the political spectrum are lining up against our voting system and calling for proportional representation, but what does that term mean? There are lots of different ways to decide who gets to...

Posted 06 Dec 2019

With PR, the number of MPs in parliament are ‘in proportion’ to the votes cast

How do you register to vote and when do you have to do it by?

Whilst registration statistics have gone dramatically up since the date for the next general election became official, arguably the level of first-time registration may be being overstated. The statistics we are given tell us the...

Posted 13 Nov 2019