May’s local elections have got just about everyone discussing our voting system. From grassroots trade union members to the most powerful politicians, influencers and our national media, First Past the Post is finally under scrutiny from all sides.
Building the case across the UK
In How the winner-takes-all voting system has turned on Labour and the Tories Professor, Sir John Curtice explains for the BBC how our voting system, designed for two-party politics cannot cope with people voting across five or more political parties. He said, “In this new era of multi-party politics, the first-past-the-post system also delivered Reform a majority in a number of councils despite winning less than half the vote in them.”
Meanwhile, the Institute for Government explained the implications of the local election results for our next general election. They state, “These elections have provided further evidence that the fracturing of British politics is not a temporary aberration – as the Conservative and Labour parties appear to have been hoping – but a phenomenon which is here to stay…The prospect of numerous Westminster constituencies becoming highly unpredictable three, four or five-way marginals at the next election is increasing with the electoral success of nationalist parties, the Greens and Reform UK. So is the possibility of five parties each winning between 15 and 25% of the vote.”
Progress in Parliament
The Representation of the People Bill will return for debate in the House of Commons in June. It covers expanding the franchise to 16, easier voter registration, banning foreign company donations and improved democracy education.
Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of democracy organisations, it does not include changing the voting system for elections to the UK Parliament. To move the campaign closer to our end goal, Alex Sobel, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections, has tabled an amendment calling for a national commission on electoral reform.
The call was backed by more than 60 Labour MPs as reported by BBC News – More than 60 Labour MPs call for review of UK voting system.
Yet another Union joins the campaign
Our biggest news from the unions is the CWU voting to support proportional representation at their conference in May. They become the eighth of the 11 Labour-affiliated unions to make electoral reform official policy and that means four out of the ‘big five’ are now backing the policy. You can read our report from the conference, and Tony Burke’s blog mentions how the CWU leadership and members have been truly welcoming and open in their approach to debate. Tony’s article was also published in the Morning Star Calling time on first past the post.
If your union doesn’t yet have policy on our electoral system and you want them to have the debate, please get in touch.