We have seen a number of events in recent days that have crystallised the long build-up of momentum in the Labour Party’s for proportional representation. Firstly, over the weekend, Andy Burnham, who, if he wins the Makerfield by-election, is considered the frontrunner to be the next Labour leader, restated his support for scrapping First Past the Post (FPTP) for Westminster and moving to a proportional system. His pledge was made in the Observer newspaper, which then carried a supportive editorial calling for PR.
Following this, sources close to Wes Streeting, considered the main potential challenger to Burnham should he get back into Parliament, restated his support for proportional representation as well. So, the two main figures in any upcoming leadership contest are backing proportional representation.
The significance of this development should not be understated. It suggests the country could be headed for its first explicitly pro-electoral reform prime minister in living memory. However, this is not happening in a vacuum. It comes as support for proportional representation has steadily been growing in the Labour movement in recent years.
Front-runners supporting proportional representation as support swells in Labour movement
Take the membership, who will be crucial in deciding any future Labour leadership election. They are overwhelmingly pro-electoral reform, with two thirds backing when polled. There has been a similar building of support among the affiliated trade unions, which have an official link to the Labour party as well as play a role in its elections and policy making. Last month, CWU became the latest affiliated union to vote to make proportional representation its official policy, meaning eight of the 11 Labour-linked unions now support changing Westminster’s voting system.
The growing strength of the support in the Labour membership and affiliated unions was seen in 2022 when they combined to pass a motion at the party’s conference supporting proportional representation for Westminster.
On top of this, there is a growing caucus of Labour MPs who now support proportional representation. The APPG of Fair Elections, which backs proportional representation, is the biggest such group in Parliament and has over 70 Labour MPs supporting it and calling for a review of Westminster’s voting system.
Burnham’s roadmap for electoral reform
Burnham’s intervention is particularly significant against this backdrop. The Manchester Mayor has long been an advocate of electoral reform for Westminster after being converted by his experiences of standing under a non-FPTP voting system after leaving Parliament.
In his Observer interview, Burnham said he feels proportional representation is an idea whose “time has come”. He also set out a roadmap for implementing it by saying he wants to see it in the next Labour manifesto.
Before the next election, the Makerfield candidate said he wants a national commission to look at Parliament’s current electoral system and what could replace it. This chimes with what the ERS has been calling for. We want to see a truly independent and impartial process when it comes to deciding what proportional system should replace First Past the Post for Westminster.
Looking to the New Zealand precedent
A good precedent for this is the Royal Commission which looked at New Zealand’s electoral system in the 1980s, after the country’s First Past the Post system had produced ‘wrong winner’ results. That commission was done in a way that was trusted by the public, and its recommendations led eventually to New Zealand switching to a proportional system in 1996.
There has clearly been a sea change happening in Labour when it comes to support for proportional representation in recent years. That momentum is personified by a frontrunner to be the next party leader, and potentially the country’s next prime minister, stating unequivocal support for scrapping First Past the Post for Westminster and setting out a plan for moving to a proportional system.
In reality, this means the debate over the electoral system is about to begin a new broader phase with the public. And it is clear that we are now entering new waters when it comes to the campaign for ensuring every vote counts at Westminster.
The Electoral Reform Society
As we enter this new phase in the campaign for a fair voting system, now is the time to step up and join the thousands of ordinary people who support our work with small regular donations. Electoral Reform Society members support our work in parliament, in the press and online – making the case and backing it up – for how we can fix Westminster’s broken system.
Join the Electoral Reform Society