Unlock Democracy

04/09/2026

Reform’s threat of a “national emergency on day one” should set alarm bells ringing.

National emergencies are for use at times of genuine threat to the country - wars, pandemics, natural disasters - not a device for governments to ram through their political programme.

For any party to threaten to declare one on their first day in office, while warning judges, peers & the civil service not to “get in our way”, is profoundly concerning.

This is what Project 2029 looks like: importing the Trump playbook to Britain, treating democratic checks & balances as obstacles to be swept aside.

Our Democracy on the Brink report looks at where that road could lead, and how we can respond 👇
https://unlockdemocracy.org.uk/s/Democracy-on-the-brink.pdf

04/09/2026

Until a donations cap is in place, the temptation will always be there to circumvent the rules when pursuing large donors.

This latest allegation must be thoroughly investigated to confirm no laws have been broken.

Investigation broadcast by Channel 4 News shows man posing as ‘impermissible donor’ paying for polling that helped Reform

03/09/2026

🗳️ Up to eight million eligible voters are missing from the electoral register.

In Parliament yesterday, MPs made the case for automated voter registration (AVR) to make it "as frictionless and easy as possible for eligible citizens to take part" in elections. In former Democracy Minister Samantha Dixon’s words, AVR will help “find those lost voters who’ve fallen out of our electoral system and bring them back into democratic engagement.”

The Representation of the People Bill gives the government the tools to act. Ministers must now set out a clear timetable to ensure automated voter registration is up and running in time for the next general election.

Watch the speeches 👇

02/09/2026

💬 “If we fail to seize this moment, the largest wallets will become the loudest voices in deciding Britain’s future.”

Stella Creasy MP is right. Without a cap on political donations, a handful of mega-donors can wield outsized influence over our politics.

With the return of the Representation of the People Bill to Parliament, today is a potentially pivotal moment for the future of our democracy.

A bill proposing a cap on donations is up for debate this week. We must seize this chance to keep big money out of our politics, says MP Stella Creasy

01/09/2026

First Past the Post doesn’t just distort election results. It discourages people from voting at all.

As former No 10 comms chief, Craig Oliver admits: “the reason they don’t turn out to vote is often they live in an area where they can’t have an impact.”

Every vote should count equally. It’s time to replace FPTP.

30/08/2026

A small number of MPs taking lucrative second jobs is giving politics a bad name.

We're calling on the government to take action on MPs' second jobs.

Please sign our letter 👇

https://secure.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/page/199569/petition/1

A small number of MPs taking lucrative second jobs is giving all MPs a bad name. We're calling on the Government to take action on MPs' second jobs. Please sign our letter.

28/08/2026

Andy Burnham doesn't want to stop mega donors buying political influence after all.

Weeks ago, Andy Burnham backed a donations cap, saying it would guard against a handful of donors or organisations wielding undue influence over our politics. What's changed?

Our democracy shouldn't be for sale. Yet a UK-based individual can pump unlimited sums into our politics. We need a donations cap.

Burnham promised wholesale culture change in Westminster. This is just more of the same.

https://buff.ly/3mtjtPL

PM said he would set bar at £500k, but trade unions say funding reforms could undermine their ability to donate to Labour

27/08/2026

The Prime Minister is a longstanding supporter of electoral reform. Now a new poll has found that a majority of MPs back a review of the voting system, too.

26/08/2026

185 MPs across eight parties - including nearly 100 Labour MPs - now back a review of First Past the Post.

The momentum for electoral reform is there. Andy Burnham - himself a vocal supporter - should seize it and launch a national commission in his first 100 days.

Exclusive: Nearly 100 Labour MPs support commission on changing the system used for Westminster election

25/08/2026

Some people want you to believe the two-party system is coming back. The data says otherwise: multi-party politics is here to stay.

First Past the Post was designed for a time when two parties hoovered up the vast majority of the vote. It still had flaws - disproportionate emphasis on a narrow slice of the electorate in marginal seats, masses of wasted votes - but it could be defended.

That world has gone - and with it the arguments in defence of FPTP.

We need a new voting system fit for the politics of today & tomorrow.

Read more 👇
https://unlockdemocracy.substack.com/p/the-two-party-system-is-not-coming-back