International Day of Democracy: PR is key to rebuilding public trust

September 15, 2024

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International Day of Democracy: PR is key to rebuilding public trust

Over the past few hundred years, our society and democracy have developed and changed beyond recognition. However, our voting system has failed to keep pace. We believe that First Past the Post has no place in a modern democracy, and should be replaced by a system of Proportional Representation. If you agree, sign the petition. If you want to know why, read on:

Minority rule

The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it's the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we've had single-party 'majority' governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn't vote for and don't agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.

Proportional Representation means majority rule, not minority rule. With PR, any government must have a majority of votes behind it - so in order to govern, a party needs to either work collaboratively with other parties, or persuade most of us to vote for it.

Demand Real Democracy

The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.

“Without trust we cannot stand.” As one of the three components needed for government, trust must be most jealously nurtured and protected, Confucius advised his follower, over and above food and weapons.

Confucius’ famous epigram is a reminder, as we mark International Day of Democracy, that for democracy to flourish, it must be willed; it cannot be forced.

Trust is the lifeblood of democracy. Yet in the UK, trust in politics is at an all-time low, compounded by a voting system that consistently fails to reflect the will of the electorate.

This summer’s general election exemplifies the urgent need for electoral reform. Without this change, efforts to rebuild public trust will fall short.

Democratic deficit

First Past the Post is a system designed to produce governments with a majority in Parliament without the need for them to have majority support in the country. In fact, since 1935, 90% of UK governments have been single-party administrations, yet none have enjoyed the support of a majority of voters.

This summer, on only one-third of the vote – a lower share than those amassed by Labour in 1951, 1970 and 1979, all elections the Party lost – Labour was propelled into office, able to command two-thirds of the seats in Parliament for the next five years.

The effect of this disparity is that some votes matter more than others. Inevitably, 2024 Labour voters did best out of the lottery that is First Past the Post, with 8 in 10 having a hand in electing a Labour MP. This compares to the 3 in 10 Conservative voters who are represented by a Tory, and less than 1 in 10 Green and Reform voters with an MP of their choice.

Flatlining trust

The consequences of such a broken system extend beyond parliamentary arithmetic; they strike at the heart of public trust in the political process.

The 2024 election demonstrated how FPTP disenfranchises the majority of voters. A staggering, record-high 58% of voters did not get an MP they voted for, and 74% of votes were essentially wasted, contributing nothing to the outcome.

When voters feel their voices are consistently ignored or marginalised, engagement drops, and cynicism rises.

Recent data from British Social Attitudes paints a bleak picture of public confidence in the political system. According to its latest report, 45% of respondents say they “almost never” trust government to prioritise the nation’s needs over the interests of their party, while only 10% of people believe politicians care about what the public thinks.

A brighter future

Switching to Proportional Representation would address these issues head-on. Unlike FPTP, PR ensures that every vote counts equally, allowing for a Parliament that accurately reflects the electorate’s preferences.

No party could govern alone without securing a majority of the vote or working constructively with others. Through PR’s basic principle that seats should match votes, we can begin to restore a sense of fairness and accountability to the system.

Countries that use PR, such as New Zealand, consistently see higher levels of voter engagement and trust in politics because when voters see their preferences reflected in the outcome, they are more likely to feel that the system is working for them, not against them.

Support for change is at record levels. The current system has left too many people disillusioned, disconnected, and distrustful of politics. Indeed it is among those who have the least trust in politicians where the demand for change is most strong.

So as we in the UK observe International Day of Democracy, it’s clear that if we’re serious about combating record-low trust in politics, we must move beyond First Past the Post. Proportional Representation offers the prospect of a more representative, accountable, and trustworthy system – one that reflects the true diversity of political opinion in the country and ensures that every vote counts.

Rebuilding public trust will take time, but PR is a necessary and vital step on that journey.

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