Campaigning for electoral reform on the political right

April 3, 2025

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Campaigning for electoral reform on the political right

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.

By Lewis Norton, Coordinator of MVM South Wales and Convenor of Young MVM.

Recently, polling showed that 39% of Conservative voters favour Proportional Representation, only 3 points shy of the 42% favouring First Past The Post, with 19% being unsure. Along with the 67% of Reform UK voters who favour PR, this is a significant display that many of us on the political right wish to see significant electoral reform. So, why is this not reflected in the campaign for proportional representation?

Now, it’s hard to deny that being a campaigner for electoral reform on the political right can be a lonely place at times. Whether it’s being sat in meetings, or out campaigning, it becomes easy to see why the issue of fair votes is often incorrectly construed as a ‘left-wing’ issue.

Make Votes Matter, and the issue of electoral reform more broadly, is cross-spectrum. But despite the best efforts of many, it is still the reality that there is work to be done on turning the principle of engagement across the spectrum into a reality. However, as much as the campaign for proportional representation needs voices on the right, many on the right also need to open their hearts and minds to this change.

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A Fight for the Right?

As is becoming increasingly obvious, First Past The Post distorts representation. Never before has this been so clear as the previous election, where the Labour Party were granted total power on one-third of the popular vote. It would of course be disingenuous to say that the Conservative Party has never benefited from this system, but there is also a genuine Conservative case for reform. While conservatives naturally favour retaining the status-quo, they should not immediately shut the door on this change. First Past The Post has seen the Conservatives largely shut out of significant parts of the North of England, Wales and Scotland in general elections.

Using my native Wales as an example, while First Past the Post saw the Conservatives completely wiped out in the 2024 general election despite being the second-largest party in the popular vote, the proportional component of the Senedd’s electoral system has seen the party retain significant representation. This is likely to improve further with the new arrangements in place for the 2026 Senedd election. More broadly for the right, this will see a genuine possibility of a Reform UK-Conservative coalition in Wales (based on polling until this point), something which could never happen under the First Past the Post system which sees nationalist parties emboldened at the expense of the right.

This is but one example of where electoral reform poses opportunities for the Conservatives and the political right, not obstacles.

In terms of other parties on the right, First Past The Post has long seen emerging right-wing parties struggle under its thumb, namely Reform UK this past election, and UKIP further back.

Because of how First Past The Post rewards focused popularity, parties with broad-based appeal like Reform UK have been significantly punished with highly disproportionate results, while parties with popularity in specific areas such as the SNP and Plaid Cymru usually come off relatively well.

The Strategic Case

Depending on your perspective, you might see the strategic arguments for PR differently. For the political right as a whole, the most important aspect is that PR allows for a more pluralistic right, preventing dominance by a single establishment party. The ‘right’ is a very broad spectrum, contrary to some beliefs, we walk around with often different views, ranging from those on the centre-right, to national conservatives, to libertarians. PR would allow the political right to better organise around these distinctions without splitting the vote.

Now, the elephant in the room. One of the most common conservative objections to PR is the ideas held about coalition governments and their ability to govern. All the more interesting given the Conservatives were part of the sole coalition in modern British history with the Liberal Democrats, a coalition which depending on who you ask, is not looked at as a coalition which got nothing done.

When properly structured, coalitions can provide stability and continuity. Often, opponents argue that the two big parties are already coalitions of sorts. This, however, does not impose upon the necessity of PR. While the process of actual coalitions is open and transparent in that we can see what each party is advocating, compromises within party factions under First Past The Post are made behind the scenes, and voters are made to accept these half-baked compromises as opposed to supporting a party that is more aligned with their views.

As for the stability of First Past The Post, this is becoming more of a myth than any of the myths put forward in regards to PR. First Past The Post can, and has, delivered weak and unstable governments, shown recently and historically by both the Conservatives and Labour. PR offers the opportunity for a more pluralistic political right to govern effectively, as opposed to comprising an often dysfunctional single party.

The Great ‘Left’ Myth

It is often the case that PR is made to feel like a left-wing activists’ cause. This is largely because most of the championing of PR is done by Labour activists, and parties like the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. But in reality, there is no reason for it to be this way. PR acts to enhance democracy and accountability, values which conservatives and the like should champion. There is nothing ‘incompatible’ between supporting PR and being on the political right.

One of the most common fears amongst the political right about PR is that of being subjected to permanent left-wing rule, that the minor parties on the left would always prop up Labour.

However, there is no reason to believe that PR would inherently favour Labour or the left, it is simply a reflection of public opinion. If the right are in the majority, then it is the right who will govern. Centre-right coalitions are formed frequently in PR-based democracies in Europe, there is no reason to believe the UK would be an outlier.

If PR is to be shaped to benefit the left as some fear, then it will be because the right has refused to engage with the process of electoral reform. If the right continues to ignore PR, then it does risk the rules of any new system being set against them. With PR continuing to gain momentum amongst the public, it would be the biggest mistake for the political right to take a step back.

If you can forgive a second Wales example, then you can see how it again perfectly illustrates this point. Welsh Labour have consistently ensured that the electoral arrangements do not disadvantage them, owing to their dominance in the debate in Wales. Whether this is nationally through ignoring repeated calls for STV in favour of retaining the Additional Member System which favoured them through the First Past The Post component, then changing the system (in cooperation with Plaid Cymru) to Closed List PR calculated by D’Hondt which served to restrict voter choice and make it more challenging for smaller parties to gain seats; or locally through allowing councils to choose to undergo a high-bar process to switch to STV, to protect Welsh Labour dominated councils from such a change.

While overall the changes in Wales are a step in the right direction, and pose opportunities for the right, they also serve as examples that PR can only entrench left-wing interests if the right continues to disengage with the debates around electoral reform. The right cannot continue to be sidelined in these conversations, we need to make sure we are being heard to ensure any new electoral system is fair and competitive.

Getting Involved

The fight for electoral reform starts here, and if we are to ensure that the right is heard in the ongoing debate, then that starts by turning the 39% of Conservatives and 67% of Reform UK voters who support PR from passive supporters to engaged activists.

I urge anyone reading this who feels strongly about electoral change but is hesitant to join because of political alignment… to join anyway. The campaign needs you (perhaps more than many are aware) to reflect the diversity of the demand for fair votes, and to ensure a true cross-party campaign can deliver PR.

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Campaigning for electoral reform on the political right

Minority rule

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