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Electoral reform takes centre stage at Labour Party conference

Electoral reform took centre stage, literally, at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this year. Andy Burnham was the lead speaker at the rally calling for reform of Westminster’s voting system, hosted by colleagues in...

Posted 15 Oct 2025

How many votes did Labour get in 2024?

On election night in 2024, the headlines celebrated a Labour landslide. Crowds cheered, pundits predicted a bold new direction, and the idea of a strong majority government dominated the conversation. But as the confetti settled,...

Posted 25 Sep 2025

Labour won a commanding majority, even though two-thirds did not vote for the party

ERS Scotland make the case for democratic reform at Scottish Labour conference

Along with Labour For a New Democracy, we were at last weekend’s Scottish Labour conference to talk to attendees, as well as co-sponsor a well-attended fringe event. Under the title, Westminster Isn’t Working: How Can...

Posted 20 Feb 2024

Democracy is major theme at Labour conference

Following last year’s successful motion on proportional representation, electoral reform and improving our democracy remained some of the biggest topics of discussion at Labour conference this year. The Electoral Reform Society team organised and spoke...

Posted 13 Oct 2023

Darren Hughes and Mick Antoniw at Labour Conference

The ERS team at a historic Labour Conference

The campaign for fair votes recently achieved a historic victory when Labour Party Conference voted for a manifesto commitment to proportional representation for general elections. This is a massive moment for democracy in the UK....

Posted 05 Oct 2022

Darren’s Diary - Behind the scenes at Labour Conference

Labour Party conference backs proportional representation

In a historic vote, Labour Party Conference has voted for a manifesto commitment to proportional representation for general elections. This is a massive moment for democracy in the UK. Now all major parties, bar the...

Posted 27 Sep 2022

A massive moment for democracy in the UK

The UK’s biggest union just passed a motion in support of proportional representation

Delegates at UNISON’s National Delegate Conference have just backed a motion calling on the UK’s biggest union to ‘reject First Past the Post’ and for the adoption of PR for UK general elections. The vote,...

Posted 17 Jun 2022

Overwhelming majority of UNISON delegates back motion to reject First Past the Post

Labour’s Mark Drakeford calls for “radical reform” of the electoral system

Mark Drakeford has thrown his support behind changes to how MPs are elected calling for ‘radical reform’ of Westminster’s electoral system. The First Minister of Wales made the remarks at the 2021 Aneurin Bevan Memorial...

Posted 28 Oct 2021

How anyone clings to the notion... [First Past the Post], is best for working people simply baffles me

“The future is going to be negotiated, not dictated”: Labour figures speak out for PR

Across the country – and increasingly within the Labour party – people are realising that Westminster's rotten system skews not just our politics, but our economy too.

Posted 01 Oct 2021

80% of CLP back PR but motion falls at Labour Party Conference

On Monday Labour conference debated and voted on a motion to back PR, adding a pledge to their next manifesto. Despite the overwhelming support of local party delegates, 80% of whom supported the campaign for...

Posted 30 Sep 2021