Click here to sign the open letter to Kemi Badenoch

The winds of change are blowing through British politics, and even the most stalwart defenders of the status quo are starting to say what we have always known to be true.  At the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London, Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch MP made a startling admission.

The scandal of disproportionate representation

During an interview about the state of UK politics, Badenoch stated: “If this was a country where you had proportional representation, it would probably come out in the wash, but we don’t. So you will have a party like Labour, which has won a landslide majority on 34 per cent of the vote. That is a scandal.”

This statement is particularly significant coming from the leader of a party that has long benefited from and championed the First Past the Post (FPTP) system. It’s a tacit acknowledgement that the current electoral system is failing to accurately represent the will of the British people, and total legislative control on a tiny minority of the vote is unacceptable in a modern democracy.

The numbers don’t lie

Badenoch’s comments reflect a growing awareness of the distortions created by FPTP. In the 2024 general election, Labour secured a massive majority with just 34% of the vote, resulting in the least proportional outcome in British history. This mirrors the 2019 election, where the Conservatives gained a substantial majority with just 43.6% of the vote.

Public opinion shifts

Recent polling indicates that the British public is increasingly in favor of electoral reform:

  • Half of Britons (49%) now support introducing a proportional representation (PR) system, compared to only 26% who favor retaining FPTP.
  • Support for PR is highest among Green (72%), Reform UK (67%), and Lib Dem voters (61%).
  • Even among Conservative voters, 39% support moving to PR, nearly matching the 42% who prefer FPTP.

The case for change

The current system’s flaws are becoming more apparent as smaller parties gain prominence. The Green Party, Scottish National Party, and Plaid Cymru have all been vocal advocates for electoral reform, arguing that FPTP fails to reflect the diverse political landscape of modern Britain.

Looking ahead

As pressure mounts for electoral reform, it’s clear that the debate over proportional representation is far from over. With even Conservative leadership acknowledging the system’s shortcomings, we may be witnessing the beginning of the end for First Past the Post in the UK.

The question now is not if change will come, but when and how. As Badenoch’s comments suggest, the current system’s ability to produce “landslide” majorities on a minority of votes is increasingly seen as problematic across the political spectrum.

It’s time for a serious national conversation about how we can create a voting system that truly reflects the will of the people and ensures that every vote counts. The future of British democracy may depend on it. 

If you want to see Proportional Representation take over from the rotten First Past the Post system like us, support the campaign and become a regular donor

Click here to sign the open letter to Kemi Badenoch

Written by Emma Harrison CEO

Photo: Official portrait of Mrs Kemi Badenoch by Chris McAndrew