It is hard to see how trust can be rebuilt while the public are routinely treated to the squalid spectacle of prime ministers ladling out jobs-for-life in parliament to friends, allies and donors. This grubby ‘business as usual’ Westminster approach to the Lords needs to be broken.

To mark the end of the year, we’ve pulled together the five ERS articles that reached the most people. They explore why our voting system is failing, what proportional representation could look like in the UK, and what recent elections and polls really tell us. buff.ly/EGD11yK

Under First Past the Post, tactical voting has become a major feature of our general elections in the UK – a symptom of a system that forces voters to game the rules instead of expressing their opinions and values.

Recent delays in the House of Lords raise serious questions about accountability in our democracy. buff.ly/k0ncCKZ

"Too many peers treat the Palace of Westminster as little more than an exclusive members’ club, enjoying the status for its own sake or for the networking opportunities"

As 2025 comes to a close, we’ve crunched the numbers. These are the five ERS articles that supporters read and shared more than any others this year: buff.ly/EGD11yK

In marginal seats across the country, millions voted in 2024 to block rather than to back. In our post-election survey, we found that over a quarter (28%) of people indicated they had opted for a tactical vote. buff.ly/SRgOk8K

According to the Equality Trust, unelected membership of the Lords has expanded from 676 to 803 in the past 20 years – the same period that political donations above £250,000 have jumped from £7.6m to more than £47m. buff.ly/fIca6aK

Right now, there is no mechanism for the public to reward effective oversight or to respond if peers obstruct legislation. buff.ly/k0ncCKZ

If you missed any of our biggest articles this year, now’s your chance to catch up. Here are the five ERS articles supporters read more than any others in 2025. buff.ly/EGD11yK

With the upcoming elections bill, we are going to see some hugely positive steps towards improving our democracy. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The Prime Minister himself has described the wholly undemocratic Lords as ‘indefensible’ and pledged to turn it into an elected chamber. buff.ly/QtNoM89

As 2025 comes to a close, we’ve crunched the numbers. These are the five ERS articles that supporters read and shared more than any others this year: electoral-reform.org.uk/the-top-5-mo...

It starts with a resolution...and ends with fair votes. We've just delivered over 250,000 signatures calling for First Past The Post to be scrapped by next Christmas🎄 📢 Share to make the call even louder! With @makevotesmatter.bsky.social @unlockdemocracy.bsky.social @electoralreform.bsky.social

Find out about our major milestones and achievements from the year in our 2025 Annual Review

Lords-a-delaying? While careful examination of legislation is vital, some recent delays look less like scrutiny and more like deliberate obstruction. electoral-reform.org.uk/lords-a-dela...

We can't have a part of our parliament that does as it pleases with no way for the public to hold them to account. buff.ly/QtNoM89

By using our voice in the media, developing in-depth research and policy, campaigning and influencing and making the case online we’ve led the charge for democratic reform in 2025. buff.ly/DtXzvSB

Back in 2022, when Keir Starmer described the House of Lords as ‘indefensible’, he also proposed a solution: make it an elected chamber that better represents all four corners of this country. We could not agree more.

Our team have works with journalists to provide in-depth analysis, opinion pieces and interviews, to make the case for electoral reform and push vital democratic issues higher up the news agenda to increase public support. Find out more in our Annual Review

First Past the Post has made our elections a high-stakes and wildly unpredictable gamble

It’s not up to us to decide if the House of Lords is doing the right thing in delaying these bills. But it shouldn’t be up to the House of Lords either. Patronage and political appointments does not confer a right to decide which laws should govern us.

With the peerages announced today, the Prime Minister has now added more peers than they are removing by scraping the 92 hereditary peers. We need a smaller, elected second chamber where the public, not politicians, decide who joins and who leaves. buff.ly/sxfoF5s

Welcome to slot-machine Britain! Our cover this week is on First Past the Post, the voting system that turns multi-party politics into a lottery. Featuring our new modelling of British elections: www.economist.com/interactive/...

It's the House of Lords' job to scrutinise laws, but we need to be able to hold them to account for their decisions.

A poll earlier in the year found that 60% of people support a cap on political donations. buff.ly/Zps1eVo

The Guardian’s analysis has found that one in 10 peers were paid for political advice in the 2019 to 2024 parliament. buff.ly/fIca6aK

Once the concern was wealthy individuals influencing policy, now the ultra wealthy are in the position to be the sole funder of a political movement. We can’t let them view political parties like a yacht or island to add to their collection. We need to put a cap on their power.

Small changes in the vote, wildly different outcomes. That's life under First Past the Post

A million pounds here, a few hundred thousand there. Life changing sums for most people. But when it comes to political donations, these are the amounts people are throwing around. Do you think that is OK? buff.ly/1yqUrOP

The government must put a donation cap in the Elections Bill

Just today, Reform UK were given £9,000,000, their largest single donation ever, and the largest donation ever from a living donor. In recent years, donations of over a million pounds have become common place across the political spectrum - it's time for a cap on donations buff.ly/OrXZVw9

Each year we write an Annual Review which looks back at our achievements across the last 12 months, and explains how our team have campaigned towards securing our vision for a democracy fit for the 21st Century.

The House of Lords is already bursting at the seams with political appointees. Rather than 'rebalancing' the second-largest parliamentary chamber in the world (after China), the government needs to get on with creating an elected chamber. buff.ly/VurmGSM

"UK ministers aim to ban cryptocurrency political donations over anonymity risks" buff.ly/EyJNM2E

Fairness in politics doesn’t happen by accident. A cap on donations would help ensure no single donor can shape our democracy in their own image. buff.ly/Zps1eVo

The rules and culture of the House of Lords provide easy opportunities for peers to use their privileged positions for private gain. buff.ly/jztKsqg

The government are working on a new law about our elections, and we want to see donation caps in it. Do you? buff.ly/1yqUrOP

There is no check on their contributions, or lack of; no democratic accountability to boot them out for poor performance. buff.ly/jztKsqg

People donate money to our politicians because they think it’s a good investment. Either for their business interests or to further their idea of what the country should be like. Those are not things you should be able to buy in a democracy.

The House of Lords is a rolling lobbying scandal

Building connections with politicians is incredibly important in mobilising change. See what we've been working on this year in this year's Annual Review: electoral-reform.org.uk/2025-at-the-...

When one person can bankroll an entire political movement, democracy is at risk. We break down why the Elections Bill must include a cap on donations. buff.ly/Zps1eVo

"Peers are waging a brazen campaign in the upper house to stall key reforms"

We are moving inexorably to the end point of electoral chaos - five parties all tied on 19% in the polls, election to be decided by blindfolded chimps chucking coloured darts at a constituency map

Come for the richly-reported details of Dannatt's business dealings, stay for the literary subheadings. w/ @robevansgdn.bsky.social

An independent Electoral Commission is a basic requirement for a modern democracy. The Government need to free the Electoral Commission

Big money shouldn’t decide the future of our democracy. It’s time for a cap on political donations. Read our latest piece on why this matters now more than ever.

Every election, millions of us head to the polling station in a conflicted state of mind – should I vote for the party I most believe in, or should tactical considerations come into play? electoral-reform.org.uk/forced-to-ma...

Find out more about our activities this year in our 2025 Annual Review. By using our voice in the media, developing in-depth research and policy, campaigning and influencing and making the case online, we’ve led the charge for democratic reform. electoral-reform.org.uk/2025-at-the-...