Westminster debates PR - an activist's report

February 3, 2025

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Westminster debates PR – an activist’s report

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.

It was a beautiful crisp blue-skyed morning as I arrived outside the carriage gates of parliament, where many MPs enter. I was soon joined by Chrissie and by 9am there were 8 of us – an ideal number for our task. Organised at short notice, we wanted to remind MPs, their staff, media people and so on, that this was the day of the great PR debate.

Westminster’s need for PR had been prioritised above all other topics by the Backbench Business Committee, to ensure it received sufficient time for many MP’s views to be heard. This was to be a quieter day in parliament than usual: the day of John Prescott’s funeral in Hull. And yet this was made up for by the enthusiasm we were met with from several MPs as they arrived.

Also notable was the interest in us, our placards, and what we were there for, coming from the hordes of people on their route from Westminster Underground to their places of work in the parliamentary precincts. The opportunity to leaflet them was not missed, while some stopped to share their generally favourable views about electoral reform.

By 10:45 we felt we had served our purpose; and fingers and toes were feeling the cold. We had to get our banners into safe keeping at MVM’s nearby office, and then return to parliament in time to hear the debate from the Commons public gallery.

As the Deputy Speaker called for the debate to be introduced, I counted 14 MPs on the Labour (Government) benches, 8 Lib Dems, 1 Green and 1 Reform; but only 2 Conservatives, one a Whip, the other their Shadow Minister for the debate.

I had urged my own MP to attend, making the case that the Tories need the change to PR just as much as other parties do; but to no avail. Of greater interest to us now, however, was what the governing party – Labour – would have to say in the debate.

Member after member, about 20 in all, predominantly from the Labour benches but also several Lib Dems, the Green and the Reform MP, spoke powerfully for PR and against FPTP. They covered the issues well. Many echoed the call for the Government to establish a National Commission on Electoral Reform, one of the three recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections.

Two not necessarily predicted stars of the debate were Labour’s Florence Eshalomi MP, who didn’t make a speech but intervened with insightful questions 5 times; and Reform’s Richard Tice, who made an eloquent speech without using any notes, that included praising Make Votes Matter by name for its campaigning excellence.

In the entire two-and-a-half-hours duration, only one speech, from Labour’s Jas Athwal MP, was in favour of keeping First Past The Post.

Towards the end, a few more Conservative MPs came to their benches, but they limited their contributions to interventions, questioning or challenging points made in other’s speeches. In every case these were answered or rebutted accurately and swiftly.

The closing speeches were from the Opposition Shadow Minister present, Paul Holmes MP, his firmly against PR; and finally the Minister Rushanara Ali MP for the Government. Hers was certainly not for PR, but it was hardly fighting talk if it was meant to be against.

Amongst her statements were that the Government has “no plans” to change the voting system for elections to the House of Commons, that “at present” it has no plans for a national commission on electoral reform, and that these matters will be kept under review. It felt like the door was being left ajar on both counts.

As we left, it struck me that it would have been impossible to have this debate in the Commons 5 years ago. Not only does the new Fair Elections APPG have over 100 members, but we have more MPs than ever before who can speak with confidence and authority about voting systems and their consequences. This is an entirely new situation.

Written by Michael Bursill

If you would like to get involved with grassroots activism consider joining a local Make Votes Matter group. Click here for more information.

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