Ken goes

Dr Ken Ritchie, the Electoral Reform Society's Chief Executive, is leaving the Society's service on 26 June 2010 (the date of the Society's AGM). In the meantime, he has handed over most of his duties but retains a campaigning role for the Society. A copy of the full, official announcement is attached.

Sam comes

The Electoral Reform Society has appointed Mr Sam Younger CBE as its Interim Chief Executive pending a permanent appointment. I wish him well at this exciting and crucial time for electoral reform. Andrew Burns, the Society's Chair has announced:

"Following my announcement on May 17 of Ken Ritchie’s departure, I am pleased to announce that Sam Younger has been appointed as the Society’s Interim Chief Executive. His appointment starts immediately and he will be with us until approximately end-August, during which time we will be working to select a permanent new Chief Executive.

Sam was formerly Chair of the Electoral Commission (2001-2008) and has most recently been undertaking Interim Chief Executive roles in the housing charity Shelter and The Bell Educational Trust."
For more information about him, please see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/aboutus/qaaBoard/SamYounger.asp.

Next Step

The coalition Government's commitment to holding a referendum on introducing the Alternative Vote for elections to the House of Commons is a small but significant step in the right direction. Please visit www.stvAction.org.uk for more on this. We must build on the commitment. In particular, we must build an unstoppable all-party/non-party alliance for reform. I was always doubtful of some reformers' tactics in trying to promote electoral reform as an anti-Tory programme Now that we have a Conservative-led Government, that tactic is blown right out of the water. By all means, criticize any party that is slow to support reform, but we can't expect Conservatives to support reform if some campaigners keep saying it is to keep the Conservatives out of power. That would be suicidal for us.

The ERS needs YOU!

If you are not currently a member of the Electoral Reform Society, will you join or rejoin now at this very exciting time? Just click on http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/join.php and complete the simple form.

Old news

"The electoral situation in Scotland is a fascinating one for all students of our present voting system. ...it is a fearful one for Scottish Conservatives." Eric Chalker (then Vice-Chairman of the ERS and of CAER in 1986. So what's changed? The principal party of UK Government has no mandate in Scotland under the present voting system. The alternative party of UK Government would have little mandate in England under the present voting system.

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