Statement from MVM

September 10, 2024

Campaign updates

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.

Make Votes Matter is saying farewell to Klina Jordan, our outgoing chief executive, and we wanted to share the news with you and recognise the extraordinary contribution she has made to MVM and a more democratic society over her time with us.

Klina Jordan conceived of and created this national movement for Proportional Representation, along with Owen Winter, Tim Ivorson and former co-directors Joseph Sousek, Jack Carrington and Patrick Herring.

From 2015 to 2024 she went above and beyond the call of duty in her service to the campaign. However, after a long period of ill health she has decided to move on from Make Votes Matter.

Klina continues to be dedicated to a world in which everyone has a real say in decisions that affect their lives, and where seats in Parliament match vote shares given by people to the parties.

Her legacy includes the enduring relationships she built for the campaign and the dedicated, competent and delightful team she co-curated, who continue their excellent work. Together they helped bring about a dramatic shift in the public, politicians and pundits’ perspectives about Proportional Representation.

We are very grateful for all the time, love and energy Klina put into MVM and the movement for real democracy, and sincerely thank her for the massive progress towards a more democratic country that she helped lead. We wish Klina all the very best of luck in regaining full health and for her next adventures.

Message from Klina

From the inception of the movement to make votes matter in 2015 I have been whole-heartedly dedicated to the cause for equal votes and real democracy. The logical and ethical arguments have been conclusively settled: seats in Parliament must match the vote shares given by the people to the parties. This is now seen as inevitable for UK general elections – it being a matter of when rather than if it happens.

Over the last nine years I have given the campaign my all and always strove to make the most out of every opportunity for the campaign, and now, after a long and deeply challenging period of ill health, I have decided it is time to move on from Make Votes Matter, to complete my healing and start afresh.

I am grateful I played a leading part in creating a respectful, collaborative and democratic organisation and movement – these were the founding values of the campaign and remain at its core today. I am also grateful that I had the opportunity to lead an initiative which resulted in agreed democracy sector guidelines about how we could work together well; respectfully, considerately and supportively.

I championed consent-based decision-making internally and made sure we democratically came to agreement about how we made decisions. While I see PR as the next big step towards real democracy nationally, I wanted the MVM team to be the change we wanted to see, going above and beyond the change we were campaigning for in our daily interactions at work; with respect and kindness.

I will always be glad that I had the chance to initiate, lead and develop the Make Votes Matter Alliance of parties, politicians, public figures and organisations. Together we have pushed effectively for PR and driven significant change, including drafting and brokering the national accord about voting systems, the Good Systems Agreement, our significant contribution to the dramatic shift in the Labour and union movement to support PR, and raising electoral reform much higher in the public consciousness. We now have a vast, creative and unstoppable grassroots movement for PR on a national level!

I would like to pass on my heartfelt thanks to everyone who was and is part of the movement for real democracy, for all their positive contributions, and for all the beautiful moments and exciting successes shared. I am eternally grateful for all the learnings and experiences I had while leading MVM, and wouldn’t change even the more difficult moments for the growth they enabled, and for where they have led me to now.

I dream of a world in which everyone is fully in their power – a world in which everyone has a real say in decisions that affect their lives, and I continue to be dedicated to manifesting this reality, whilst also exploring my growing passion for wellbeing and empowered, collaborative healthcare.

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