An activist account: public speaking about Proportional Representation

March 10, 2025

Blogs, Campaign updates

An activist account: public speaking about Proportional Representation

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.

I first became aware of our unfit-for-purpose voting system in 1975. Life had extracted me from London and pitched me into rural Somerset where, with my awakening sense of politics, I realised I was in a very safe Tory seat. I’m not a Tory voter and I became acutely aware that my vote was actually pointless! A bit of a shock.

My ongoing interest led me to obtain a copy (in 1978) of The Hansard Society Commission Report on Electoral Reform 1976. This report…I recommend it to all (maybe start with the conclusions first?)…came about after the wrong winner election of February 1974. The recommendations were unequivocal: 100% of the Commission in favour of PR! I thought: well this is terrific! And then my political naivety was exposed as this report was brushed under the carpet by the duopoly…and effectively forgotten about.

From about then my time was fully consumed with work, marriage, children and all the associated busyness of life. I used to talk about PR here and there but no one was particularly interested. I joined the Electoral Reform Society but felt disappointed by their not ‘out there’ style.

I witnessed the Thatcher years from 1979 of course. I guess it was Thatcherism and the appalling nature of total power with a non-plurality of the vote (which we’ve had since 1935!) that drove my motivation.

Fast-forward to semi retirement in December 2017 and an awareness of an emerging campaign group called Make Votes Matter and a chance chat to a friend in Totnes. We got together and started Totnes MVM Group…a public meeting in March 2018 got us off to a great start. I was particularly enthusiastic about the single-focus campaign…no distractions from the issue. I like focus…and I could see how MVM’s plan of action could work.

This inevitably led to wanting to talk to whoever might want to listen to me about it. It is clear to me that so many have very little, or no, understanding of the significance of voting reform to a PR system. And that understanding…by as many as possible…will be vital to changing. The status quo FPTP will be defended vigorously by those who gain their power from it. That defence I fear will be loud, full of lies and misinformation, obfuscation and demagoguery. I spent many hours absorbing everything I could about the subject including all of the negative arguments around PR. I used to get friends who knew the subject to be devil’s advocates and quiz me. Most groups I’ve spoken to have wanted me because they are basically ‘onside’. There are always many critics …thus the necessity for a thorough and broad knowledge around the subject. I’ve even tried, maybe a bit cheekily, to talk to our local Conservative Party membership. They don’t want to know of course.

I have talked with …either via Zoom (lockdown of course) or in person…in no particular order: Quakers; Humanists; Green Party; Libdems; local parish and/or community groups; our local Community Colleges; a local Grammar School; a local independent school. And others that I can’t remember. A real high for me was a zoom talk to the politics students at my old school in 2021, followed by in-person the next year. See the press report for more information. There’s just got to be a low as well! I was booked at a College for two sessions a week apart, each to half of a large sixth form. The tutor asked me particularly if I could focus on what is ‘left’ and ‘right’ in politics. Definitely relevant …most sixth formers would have no idea and they are presented with these positions, depending on their news’ sourcing, regularly. I spent too long on this which left little time for PR…and I did a bit of over-egging the wasted votes thing , aided and abetted by a few questions. Unintentional and an error by me. At the thank you and summing up

by the Head of the Sixth Form, she started to completely contradict what I was saying. I just waded in saying that that was not what I had said! I was asked not to come back the following week. Learning point for me, apart from mis-direction in presentation, was: don’t criticise the Head in front of three other staff members and half of the sixth form!l

I’m rather useless with technology so tend to rely on a few visual aids; maybe some figures on a white board. But I can be infectiously (so I’m told) passionate about PR which has apparently an engaging quality about it. But keeping steady, measured, on topic and strictly cross-party is majorly important. I find questions arising to be the most interesting for me…I’m put on the spot and have to think clearly and quickly. I’ll never pretend to know something that I don’t…always say something like ‘I don’t know, but I’ll check it out and get back to you’. The young speaker programme strikes me as rather brilliant…I often feel, when talking to 17 year olds who know so little of politics, that this is just ‘granddad’ going on and on about whatever it is. Would they rather be flicking through Snapchat or whatever? But maybe I’m sowing a seed in some way?

I’m sure you will all have great and more meaningful interactions with youngsters and peer groups than I might wish for.

Whether we change to PR in my lifetime is looking doubtful.

But your energies and campaigning can, and will, make this happen.

By Laurie Taylor, Local Group Coordinator for Totness and Make Votes Matter Speaker

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An activist account: public speaking about Proportional Representation

Minority rule

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