Government to cap overseas donations and stop crypto donations Today we welcomed the review by Philip Rycroft into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The review rightly identifies a loss of trust in our democrati

It is crucial that the public always trusts that politicians are acting in their interest and not of those with the deepest pockets. Our politics should not be for sale to the highest bidder or left open to the influence of hostile foreign powers. buff.ly/cH6Ontu

Polling breakdown from March 2026: Latest polls see continued fragmentation Since February 2025, we at the Electoral Reform Society have been collecting data on UK general election voting intention polls published by British Polling Council (BPC) members.The ye

In March we saw the combined Conservative and Labour vote share at just 37.1%, a significant drop on the combined 57.4% they achieved at the 2024 general election, itself a record low. buff.ly/OxLijr3

There is a new way of voting at the Senedd election this May. How does it work? Whatever happens in May, the next Senedd election is set to be historic. For instance, recent polling has pointed to the chance that Labour might not be the largest party in the Senedd f

Whatever happens in May, the next Senedd election is set to be historic. But it’s not just who is sitting in the Siambr that could change. The way Members of the Senedd are elected is also set to change with the new ‘closed proportional list’ system.

After being doorstepped by a Green canvasser, I know what voters must do to keep out Reform | Zoe Williams The 7 May elections in Great Britain promise to be a rout for Labour and the Tories, writes Zoe Williams. If you need to vote tactically to stop Nigel Farage’s party, make sure you trust your…

Voters shouldn't have to work out how their neighbours are likely to vote before deciding how to cast theirs. We need local elections in England and Wales which work for voters, not one that voters have to work around. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

How we are plotting a quiet revolution in truly local democracy in Scotland At a time when any politician can win a cheap round of applause by proposing fewer elected officials, one campaign group wants Scotland to have many thousands more councillors

What does it mean for democracy to be local? ERS Scotland is part of the Build Local Scotland campaign, a group who want to see the end of centralisation and a return to local control in Scotland. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

Why Holyrood’s voting system still favours larger parties Everyone knows that First Past the Post favours the largest party. At the last Westminster election, Labour managed to turn 34% of the vote into 63% of parliament – a full 29 percentag

Scotland’s parliament is more representative than Westminster — but larger parties still benefit under current rules. We explore how Holyrood’s system could be made fairer. buff.ly/xdPjMNY

Polling breakdown from March 2026: Latest polls see continued fragmentation Since February 2025, we at the Electoral Reform Society have been collecting data on UK general election voting intention polls published by British Polling Council (BPC) members.The ye

The days of a vast majority of people voting for one of two ‘major parties’ are gone. Unfortunately, the electoral system designed for those days, First Past The Post (FPTP), is still very much with us for UK general elections.

Former Prime Minister John Major questions the ‘validity’ of First Past the Post There has been a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform recently, in the guise of former Prime Minister John Major. The Conservative politician has questioned the

In his speech, John Major also called for a wider ‘updating’ of our politics, starting with a clean-up of donations and honours. buff.ly/Pd0lWFa

The end of the Hereditary Peerage: A long campaign and an important victory We saw a big victory last night as the bill to remove the last hereditary peers from the House of Lords finally passed. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill means the remaining 84

It is disappointing to see that a number of hereditary peers will be waltzing back into the Lords by the back door, with freshly bestowed life peerages. buff.ly/NPATdsQ

The electoral reform Portugal needs Nearly fifty years after the transition to democracy, Portugal’s electoral system for its national parliament (the Assembleia da República) has changed very little.

A major issue with Portugal's electoral system is that it's more proportional in some areas than others – only the largest parties can win in less populated districts, while voters have lots of choice in the major cities. buff.ly/WKU28HM

Why Holyrood’s voting system still favours larger parties Everyone knows that First Past the Post favours the largest party. At the last Westminster election, Labour managed to turn 34% of the vote into 63% of parliament – a full 29 percentag

Proportional systems should make every vote count, but some features can still skew outcomes towards bigger parties. Our latest analysis of the 2011 election shows why Holyrood’s voting system isn’t perfect yet.

Is it possible to opt out of political leaflets through the letterbox? Written by Thomas WorthIn the months leading up to elections, voters are often inundated with all sorts of literature from political parties and candidates. From leaflets to surveys, or

During the 2024 General Election campaign alone, Royal Mail delivered 184 million freepost leaflets from candidates. And that this figure doesn’t take into account those delivered by the candidates and parties themselves. buff.ly/kNbOLcS

Polling breakdown from March 2026: Latest polls see continued fragmentation Since February 2025, we at the Electoral Reform Society have been collecting data on UK general election voting intention polls published by British Polling Council (BPC) members.The ye

March saw the Green Party’s vote share at its highest monthly average vote share since the party’s formation. Indeed, one YouGov poll had the Greens in joint 2nd place, behind Reform UK.

We were asked to address MPs on the Representation of the People Bill committee This week MPs sitting on the Representation of the People Bill committee took evidence before the bill starts committee stage – the line-by-l

Trust is not just about safeguards. It is about whether people feel their voice matters. If the system repeatedly fails to represent their choices, if they are excluded from the process, people lose faith in democracy. buff.ly/Q0yWmam

The electoral reform Portugal needs Nearly fifty years after the transition to democracy, Portugal’s electoral system for its national parliament (the Assembleia da República) has changed very little.

Academics in Portugal are starting a campaign to give voters more say in their elections.

Is it possible to opt out of political leaflets through the letterbox? Written by Thomas WorthIn the months leading up to elections, voters are often inundated with all sorts of literature from political parties and candidates. From leaflets to surveys, or

In the months leading up to elections, voters are often inundated with all sorts of literature from political parties and candidates. We've had a few people ask us if they can opt out of certain parties' leaflets, so we investigated the issue:

Former Prime Minister John Major questions the ‘validity’ of First Past the Post There has been a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform recently, in the guise of former Prime Minister John Major. The Conservative politician has questioned the

This is the latest in a growing drumbeat of politicians on the right of British politics asking whether it’s time to ditch First Past the Post and move to a more proportional voting system. buff.ly/Pd0lWFa

Welcome to The Breakdown: UK Polling Accessible polling analysis fresh from the desk of the Electoral Reform Society's research team.

Our Substack is just elections and polling analysis; we won’t send you articles on other topics or emails about our campaigns. You can subscribe here:

Former Prime Minister John Major questions the ‘validity’ of First Past the Post There has been a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform recently, in the guise of former Prime Minister John Major. The Conservative politician has questioned the

John Major acknowledged in his speech that First Past the Post, which is designed for two parties, is acting more erratically as it struggles to cope in the current multiparty environment. buff.ly/Pd0lWFa

Welcome to The Breakdown: UK Polling Accessible polling analysis fresh from the desk of the Electoral Reform Society's research team.

At the Electoral Reform Society, we keep an eye on all polls published by British Polling Council (BPC) members. So we have decided to share what we learn in a new monthly substack - You can subscribe here

Former Prime Minister John Major questions the ‘validity’ of First Past the Post There has been a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform recently, in the guise of former Prime Minister John Major. The Conservative politician has questioned the

The case against Frist Past the Post has long been made by Conservative Action for Electoral Reform, and since the last election, Conservative figures such as Tobias Ellwood and Nigel Evans have both made the case for electoral reform.

Polling breakdown from March 2026: Latest polls see continued fragmentation Since February 2025, we at the Electoral Reform Society have been collecting data on UK general election voting intention polls published by British Polling Council (BPC) members.The ye

March saw a bumper crop of polls from BPC members. Twelve different companies published polls, a monthly high since the ERS started collecting this data a year ago.

There is a new way of voting at the Senedd election this May. How does it work? Whatever happens in May, the next Senedd election is set to be historic. For instance, recent polling has pointed to the chance that Labour might not be the largest party in the Senedd f

After the next Senedd election in May 2026, members of the Senedd will have the chance to review the closed list system, and we’ll be arguing that ‘closed’ lists aren’t good enough for Welsh voters to hold MSs to account.

MPs form new cross-party group aimed at wholesale Lords reform This week, MPs and peers from across the political spectrum announced plans to form a new all-party parliamentary group on ‘wholesale’ Lords reform. The trigger was the very real sig

Public office is often treated less like a position of trust, and more like a private members' club. The House of Lords is a rolling scandal that needs fundamental reform. buff.ly/aNpeSGD

Is it possible to opt out of political leaflets through the letterbox? Written by Thomas WorthIn the months leading up to elections, voters are often inundated with all sorts of literature from political parties and candidates. From leaflets to surveys, or

Instead of the current system, where we have to opt out of the Open Register, changes in the Representation of the People Bill mean that when registering, people will have to opt-in if they want to. But this won't impact on political parties. buff.ly/kNbOLcS

Welcome to The Breakdown: UK Polling Accessible polling analysis fresh from the desk of the Electoral Reform Society's research team.

We're starting a new monthly Substack of accessible polling analysis fresh from the desk of the Electoral Reform Society's research team. You can subscribe here: open.substack.com/pub/electora...

The Representation of the People Bill moves democracy forward – but more progress is needed At the Electoral Reform Society, we believe democracy is never a finished project.Something so hard won requires constant attention, updating and improvement if it is to remain healthy.

If this Bill is going to live up to its name, it must replace the outdated First Past the Post system with a proportional one – where seats in Parliament actually reflect how people vote.

The electoral reform Portugal needs Nearly fifty years after the transition to democracy, Portugal’s electoral system for its national parliament (the Assembleia da República) has changed very little.

Portugal is one of only a handful of European Union countries where voters cannot influence the selection of candidates at all in legislative elections. In most proportional systems in Europe, voters can choose between candidates, rather than just pick a party.

Ah, you are right! I'll try and find that one and update it. The bottom of all our main weekly emails certainly has it

Will Labour embrace electoral reform? The party has had a fraught relationship with it

"a pro-PR campaign is building within the Parliamentary Labour Party. Each MP involved is convinced that it won’t be long until something has to give."
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