Johnston was chosen for the Award by a jury of distinguished academics and journalists. They explained their decision as follows:

'Through his work with the Electoral Commission on boundary changes Ron Johnston has made a considerable contribution not only to political studies but has also helped shape the future of British Politics. He stands out as a clear communicator who has the capacity to communicate complex issues in an accessible manner. It is for these reasons that we feel he is a highly deserving winner of the 2011 Politics/Political Studies Communicator Award.'

In 2010, Johnston co-authored the report 'Drawing a New Constituency Map for the United Kingdom: The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010' which looked at the coalition Government's proposals for electoral reform. He has also written about the proposals on the LSE British politics and policy blog.

More information is available on the Political Studies Association's website.