On International Women’s Day we celebrate the women who organise, speak out & lead the fight for a stronger democracy.
But equality in our democracy is still unfinished work. Representation, safety in public life, and fair access to power matter.
A better democracy must work for everyone. #IWD2026
Political appointments to the BBC Board must end.
Even the perception of interference that goes with those appointments can damage credibility and trust.
Winner-takes-all elections force voters to focus less on what they favour and more on what they fear.
Not only is this short-changing voters, it’s destabilising politics.
unlockdemocracy.substack.com/p/voters-bea...
Voters, not donors, should be top-of-mind for politicians. But with donations of this size comes a level of access & influence that is unavailable to 99% of voters.
A fair donations cap would rebalance politics in favour of ordinary voters rather than wealthy donors.
The government is bringing forward much-needed measures to better protect election candidates and staff from abuse and harassment.
As The Times wrote in its leader, "such menacing behaviour is inimical to the healthy functioning of a robust democracy."
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In 1969, the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. This change was opposed by many.
Yet today's critics of lowering the voting age to 16 now talk of 18 as though it has always been the age at which people get the right to vote.
Read more 👇
🎉 Democracy wins! The government has scrapped ministers’ power to influence the Electoral Commission.
The Strategy and Policy Statement risked political interference - now it’s gone!
This is a significant step towards rebuilding public trust. Free and fair elections rely on an impartial referee.
*Representation of the People Bill update*
Steve Reed has just announced: 'We will repeal in full the power for government to impose a strategy and policy statement on the Electoral Commission'.
A very welcome change. I set out last week why it was needed.
constitution-unit.com/2026/02/26/t...
🎉 Democracy wins! The government has scrapped ministers’ power to influence the Electoral Commission.
The Strategy and Policy Statement risked political interference - now it’s gone!
This is a significant step towards rebuilding public trust. Free and fair elections rely on an impartial referee.
More details on AVR’s potential impact are available in our report, ‘Register Every Voter’, accessible here 👇
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Ministers are right to remove unnecessary barriers to voting when we have the technology to do so securely & cost-effectively.
Automatic voter registration can give voice to the 7-8 million eligible voters missing from the electoral register, so Parliament can fully represent the people it serves.
“Multi-party politics is here to stay - and given our electoral system, which is built on the premise of two-party politics, that means a lot more volatility, a lot more uncertainty.”
Looking ahead to May, @robfordmancs.bsky.social predicts “a patchwork quilt of political fragmentation.”
The Representation of the People Bill does not chuck big money out of politics.
Mega-donors will still be able to pour millions into political parties and drown out the influence of ordinary voters.
Please back our campaign for a cap on donations.
Firm but fair criticism from @alanrenwick.bsky.social of the "glaring omission" in the Representation of the People Bill.
The independence of the Electoral Commission has been seriously undermined. The government must act to restore it.
Read in full @conunitucl.bsky.social 👇
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With the polls so close, many voters in Gorton & Denton won't feel free to vote for who they believe in.
That's the unfair choice First Past the Post gives voters: risk your vote counting for nothing, or vote tactically to block someone else.
That’s not real choice. That's not real democracy.
Exactly. In Ireland, and for Scottish local councils, (both of which use a form of PR), by-elections take place by preferential voting. Since only one candidate can win, some votes won’t count, but at least the winner must gain the support of a majority of their voters (after 2nd, 3rd… preferences).
With the polls so close, many voters in Gorton & Denton won't feel free to vote for who they believe in.
That's the unfair choice First Past the Post gives voters: risk your vote counting for nothing, or vote tactically to block someone else.
That’s not real choice. That's not real democracy.
"Influence-peddling is not an aberration in this system; it is the business model. That is why it has to be smashed."
Read the full piece 👇
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Either the voting system needs to change, or voters need to go back to two-party voting. These two options are driving straight at each other, like a democratic game of chicken. Which will blink first?
Read the full article 👇
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Allegations about Lord Mandelson's past behaviour, now being investigated, reinforce the urgent need for a more transparent approach, and wider participation, in significant public appointments.
In 2024, the govt's Lords spokesman warned that ministers setting a Strategy & Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission was “inconsistent with the Commission’s role as an independent regulator."
Just over a year later, the govt admitted plans for a new Statement to reflect its own priorities.
Access to high-quality, non-partisan citizenship education should be available to all young people, not just the lucky few.
It can only help to strengthen participation & trust in our democracy, at a time when both are in serious decline.
Sign the UK Youth Parliament's petition 👇
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So long as the House of Lords remains unaccountable to the people, questions about its legitimacy won’t go away.
Where does reasonable scrutiny end and wrecking tactics begin for an unaccountable second chamber?
Lords reform would make the line less blurry. Until then 👇
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This is a victory for democracy and for the millions who faced losing their vote this May.
But Ministers shouldn’t have the power in the first place to postpone or cancel elections without having a vote in parliament. The law must be changed.
www.ft.com/content/fb82...
I understand the case for postponing some elections while local govt is reorganised,but the bar for suspending elections should be extremely high.
It's crucial not to set a precedent that elections can be easily cancelled. Pandemics & wars meet the threshold; administrative convenience & cost don't
“A shadow hangs over democracy; the shadow of corruption”, writes our CEO in Left Foot Forward.
After decades of being devalued and defunded by central government, councils should be looking forward to the potential benefits of devolution. Instead they are mired in a time-consuming reorganisation that will shift power even further away from local communities. Ministers should rethink.
📮 Full text of the letter calling on the Government to engage with the growing risks First Past the Post now presents
✍️ Signatories include leading academics, political scientists and constitutional experts - including a former Chief Executive of the UK Electoral Commission
But now two senior Labour figures have suggested the Government may finally be ready to take the kind of action they promised in opposition.
We welcome that and we’re writing to the Government today to offer our help.
Will you back our letter today?
secure.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/page/186467/...
It’s been a bleak 7 days for anyone who thinks standards in politics matters.
First it was the Mandelson scandal, which is far from over. Now it’s another scandal about who the Prime Minister saw fit to appoint to the Lords.
It’s the kind of drama that Keir Starmer was elected to stop.
