More than 60 Labour MPs call for review of UK voting system
Summary
More than 60 Labour MPs in the UK want to review the country's current voting system, called first-past-the-post, which they say is not working well. They are supporting a new national commission to study the system and suggest changes, especially as smaller political parties have grown in importance.Key Facts
- Over 60 Labour MPs have signed an amendment calling for a national commission to review the UK's voting system.
- The current first-past-the-post system means the candidate with the most votes in an area wins and becomes a Member of Parliament (MP).
- Critics say this system allows candidates to win without a majority and can hurt democracy, while supporters say it produces clear and stable governments.
- Smaller parties like the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, SNP, and Plaid Cymru want a more proportional system that better matches votes to seats won.
- Voting systems for the Welsh and Scottish parliaments already use proportional representation.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer supported electoral reform in 2020 but has since dropped the promise and it is not in Labour's 2024 election plans.
- The amendment was introduced by Labour MP Alex Sobel and has backing from several committee chairs and trade unions affiliated with Labour.
- Previous attempts to change the system include the 1998 Jenkins Commission and a 2011 referendum, but no changes have been made.
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