Is there proportional representation in Scotland? For most of the 20th century, every election in Scotland was conducted under the First Past the Post system, from elections of MPs to local councillors. Much like in the rest of the UK, this... Posted 05 Sep 2019
With first past the post, country and city voters take turns being locked out of government Far too often, debates around electoral reform are characterised as the idea of making two pie charts match: one pie chart represents how the country voted, the other the make-up of parliament. The 2015 general... Posted 28 Feb 2019
Which European countries use proportional representation? Of the 43 countries most often considered to be within Europe, 40 use some form of proportional representation to elect their MPs. The UK stands almost alone in Europe in using a ‘one-person-takes-all’ disproportionate voting... Posted 26 Dec 2018
How does proportional representation work in Germany? Elections to Germany’s Bundestag – Germany’s House of Commons – are held under Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP). This electoral system seeks to combine features of Westminster style first past the post voting – in... Posted 18 Dec 2018
New Zealand election: Citizens make the most of fair votes Saturday saw New Zealand go to the polls for its eighth election since they ditched the broken first past the post system and adopted Mixed-Member Proportional representation (MMP) in 1993. Mixed-Member Proportional is a variant... Posted 27 Sep 2017
The myth that Westminster’s voting system is ‘strong and stable’ has been bust for good If ‘strong and stable’ has been the motto of Parliament’s First Past the Post voting system, June 5th put an end to that myth once and for all. For the third time in a row,... Posted 24 Aug 2017
Scotland’s multi-party system can never be represented by First Past the Post At the close of the polls on Thursday, people in Scotland will have faced 10 opportunities to vote in the last eight years. Of these elections and referendums, the general election is the only completely... Posted 08 Jun 2017
Fighting for fair votes around the world – lessons from the Global Greens Congress Proportional representation has been a longstanding campaign of the Greens. But not just here in the UK – democratic reform is often a key plank of Green platforms. So it was fascinating to see leaders... Posted 07 Apr 2017
Building a stronger National Assembly, or why ‘We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat…’ Given the tidal waves that have rocked our politics this year, it may seem an unusual time to be discussing the need for more Assembly Members. In a year of populist shocks and rhetoric, the... Posted 01 Dec 2016
After Brexit, it’s time for a bigger, stronger Senedd ‘May you live in interesting times’ goes the old Chinese curse. And few could deny that we do: Brexit, a party system in flux, and a constitution in tumult all mark new times for the... Posted 29 Nov 2016