June 17, 2022

UNISON just passed a motion in support of proportional representation

UNISON conference
Credit: Caroline Osborne., L4ND

Delegates at UNISON’s National Delegate Conference have just backed a motion calling on the UK’s biggest union to ‘reject First Past the Post’ and for the adoption of PR for UK general elections. The vote, which saw an overwhelming majority of delegates back the motion, marks a significant moment for the Labour movement, as Unite the Union, the UK’s second …

Continue reading
October 22, 2021

Unite vote to oppose First Past the Post hailed ‘important shift’ in campaign for fair votes

Today, Unite Policy Conference voted to support Proportional Representation in Westminster elections for the first time in our history. Our political class has failed working people and our system is broken. It is time to change our democracy.
Credit: PFTM,

Unite members have voted to oppose Westminster’s First Past the Post electoral system pledging support for moves towards a new voting system in UK elections. “Today, Unite Policy Conference voted to support Proportional Representation in Westminster elections for the first time in our history. Our political class has failed working people and our system is broken. It is time to change our democracy.” Unite’s general secretary …

Continue reading
September 30, 2021

80% of CLPs back PR at Labour Conference but motion falls

Labour Party Conference
Credit: PFTM,

On Monday, Labour conference debated and voted on a motion to back PR, adding a pledge to their next manifesto. Despite the overwhelming support of local party delegates, 80% of whom supported the campaign for Labour to back reform, due to opposition from several of the party’s affiliated trade unions the motion was narrowly defeated. The motion, backed by the Labour …

Continue reading
May 28, 2021

Julian Vaughan: The push for PR gathers momentum

ASLEF union-picture
Credit: Julian Vaughan,

I am proud to have written the motion on a fairer voting system that was recently adopted by ASLEF at their Annual Assembly of Delegates. However, in a democratic union like ASLEF, success is only achieved with the support of branch delegates from across the railway network. I am particularly grateful to my colleague who put the motion to the …

Continue reading
January 17, 2020

The core of Britain’s constitution is the zombie-like relic of what was, and in many ways still is, an imperial state

Zombie
Credit: Kevin Phillips, Pixabay

As the self-styled ‘home’ of parliamentary sovereignty, Britain has commonly been assumed to have a system of government is rational, ordered and organised with sufficient checks and balances. Yet as Brexit has drawn more attention to daily parliamentary goings-on, we have found that it is, in fact, wrapped up in pageantry, ritual and confusion, with even the participants unsure of …

Continue reading