07/08/2023

Keith Best: The local elections showed how the Conservatives can lose out under first past the post | ConHome

Polling Station sign on post

Keith Best is a former Conservative MP and Chairman of Conservative Action for Electoral Reform It is not a particularly penetrating insight to say that the recent local elections were very bad for the Conservative Party. The night saw losses exceed the 1,000 seats Ministers had briefed to manage expectations – and came close to the disastrous results of 2019. …

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12/10/2022

A message from the Chair: CAER at Conservative Conference

Electoral reformers at conservative conference

We would like to thank all those who attended our electoral reform fringe event at the Conservative 2022 conference. It was fantastic to be in Birmingham surrounded by fellow party members concerned about the future of our great democracy. We had a great turnout that filled the room with an engaging debate on electoral reform. A special thanks goes to …

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13/09/2022

The perfect constitutional monarch

Queen-Memorial-Banner (1)

We all mourn our late beloved Queen for many reasons, not least the constancy and pillar of strength she personified through very turbulent times and significant change. As she lived her both family and civic life in the full glare of public gaze she showed empathy and sensitivity to her subjects and those overseas which endeared her and provided a …

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12/08/2022

How the Single Transferable Vote broke open Scotland’s one-party fiefdoms

Cllr Dave Dempsey

As part of the launch of the Electoral Reform Society’s report – Here to Stay: Two Decades of Proportional Representation in Britain – their Head of Communications Josiah Mortimer interviewed Conservative councillor Dave Dempsey – leader of the opposition on Fife Council, which is run by an SNP-Labour coalition. Cllr Dempsey is a keen supporter of proportional representation, in contrast to …

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28/06/2022

A flawed system means a sense of fair play is missing in local elections

Polling Station sign on post

The 2022 local elections were tougher than expected. While recent political events certainly shoulder some of the blame, the ineffective electoral system further dented Conservative representation across the country. Since 2019, 29 councils outside of London have failed to correctly represent the Conservative vote. In these boroughs, Conservative councillors who had popular support have been denied seats. London is even …

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26/03/2018

The Case for Local Election PR and Directly Elected Mayors

Rahima Khan

Rahima Khan is the Conservative candidate Mayor for Newham. You can find out more on how to help her campaign on her website www.rahimakhan.com   In addition to the seven powerful regional mayoralties that exist in England, there are twenty-three directly-elected mayoralties across our boroughs and cities. London is unique in the fact that it not only has a regional …

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05/07/2016

Conservative leadership election explained

On Thursday at midday nominations closed for the Conservative Party leadership contest.  It’s been a week of high drama in politics – and many of you will have your views on the candidates (and those who aren’t candidates) – but how do Conservative Party leadership elections work? Unlike Labour leader contenders, who need 15% of the Parliamentary Labour Party, in …

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10/03/2016

Four Reasons Conservatives Should Support Electoral Reform

First Past the Post

The Scottish Conservative Party conference happened last weekend, and one of the highlights for us was the launch of a new pamphlet, “Light Blue Ideas”, edited by Professor Alan Convery. Alan is a lecturer in politics at Edinburgh University, and has brought together a stellar cast of policy experts and academics to propose ways in which the Scottish Conservatives might modernise themselves …

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