Richard Wood is a democracy reform campaigner based in London and originally from Edinburgh:

• Former Electoral Reform Society council member

• Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform executive group member

• Experienced public affairs professional, having previously worked for an MP in Westminster covering political reform

Experience

Experienced in the sector and with a passion for electoral reform:

• Board experience in the democracy sector: I served on the Electoral Reform Society board 2022- 2023.

• Lib Dems: Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform executive group (2021 - present).

• Scotland: Founder of Upgrade Holyrood, calling for better democracy in Scotland.

• Westminster: Three years' experience as a parliamentary staffer, covering the political reform portfolio.

• Former Make Votes Matter volunteer.

• Political writer including Politics.co.uk.

Vision

The upcoming election and following parliament both offer opportunities to deliver much-needed democratic reforms, cooperating with the wider democracy sector. We need to Fix Politics Now:

Fair votes: Proportional Representation for the House of Commons.
Abolish the House of Lords: A democratic upper chamber.
A written and codified constitution.
Automatic voter registration.
Devolve power from Westminster.
Think-tank transparency.
Four-year fixed-term parliaments.
Better political literacy and education.

Why I'm standing for Council

"Our political system consistently lets down the citizens it is meant to represent. From our archaic First Past the Post voting system to the lack of a codified constitution, our democracy is crying out for an upgrade. I've championed change since I first got involved in politics and now have the experience to drive reform as part of the board. Unlock Democracy must lead the campaign to prioritise fair votes and modernise our political system once and for all.”