Proportional Representation
There are many possible forms of PR - read more below.
Systems of Proportional Representation
Most democracies – and the vast majority of developed countries – use some form of Proportional Representation for their general elections. There are several families and countless formulations of proportional voting systems – each with their own features. No proportional voting system is as flawed as First Past the Post, and good systems of Proportional Representation – which have a strong constituency link, enhanced voter choice and accountable representation – are incomparably better.
Make Votes Matter does not have a preferred voting system. Our role is to build consensus between the parties, organisations and politicians of the MVM Alliance about the criteria that define good voting systems, and coordinate an unstoppable drive to #ChangeTheVotingSystem. In 2019 we launched the Good Systems Agreement – a historic consensus on what good voting systems look like and how to get there. We believe the final choice would ideally be made by a people-led, deliberative process such as a Citizens’ Assembly.
The systems below are some tried-and-tested forms of Proportional Representation which we believe could be appropriate for the UK.
The Scottish system -Additional Member System (AMS)
Forms of the Additional Member System are used to elect the Scottish Parliament, the London Assembly, and in general elections in Germany and New Zealand.
Half the MPs are elected to single-member constituencies just as they are now. The other half are elected to represent multi-member regions. In Scotland, every voter has one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) accountable to their constituency and seven MSPs accountable to their region. A voter can appeal to any one of these MPs to seek representation.
Regional MPs could be elected using Open or Flexible Lists to further strengthen voter choice.
Scandinavian system - Open or Flexible List PR
Different forms of Open or Flexible List PR are used for general elections in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
MPs are elected to multi-member constituencies – so each voter has a number of MPs to represent them.
Parties put forward lists of candidates for each constituency. Voters choose which party to support and are then able to vote for specific candidates standing for that party. This gives voters a choice of candidates within the party they want to vote for – something First Past the Post does not allow.
All change in Wales
On 7th May 2026, elections to the Senedd – the Welsh Assembly – took place under a new system. Since its inception, Members of the Senedd have been elected through a more proportional system than Westminster, meaning votes match seats. However, the system was reviewed (with MVM’s input) to make it better reflect how Wales votes.
Wales has 16 constituencies, each electing six Members of the Senedd. Voters now get one vote only (not two). People cast their vote for a party or an independent candidate, not individual candidates within a party.
The seats are decided based on each party’s share of the vote; for example, if a party gets 50% of the vote, it will get three out of six of the seats in that constituency. For the geeks among us, the seats are allocated under the D’Hondt method – the Senedd has produced a helpful explainer – but basically:
Seats are allocated in rounds.
After each seat is given, a party’s vote total is divided by (seats won + 1).
This continues until all six seats are filled.
Irish system - Single Transferable Vote (STV)
Forms of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) are used in the Republic of Ireland and Malta, in addition to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish local elections, Tasmanian Parliament and Australian Senate.
MPs are elected to multi-member constituencies – so each voter has a number of MPs to represent them.
Rather than voting for party lists, voters rank candidates in order of preference and can include candidates from any party in their ranking, giving voters a great deal of choice. Candidates need a particular number of votes to be elected. Excess votes for winning candidates and votes for losing candidates are reallocated according to the voters’ preferences until all seats are filled.