A cross-party group of MPs and former frontline politicians are calling for an overhaul of the electoral system as part of a package of measures to restore public trust in politics.
The new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections, which will launch on Monday 25 November, also wants to clampdown on “dark money” in politics and shine a light on disinformation.
The APPG, despite being founded in September, has already grown to be one of the largest in parliament, now totalling 108 members. Most of the APPG’s members are Labour MPs.
A new report by the group — Free But Not Fair — posits three initial recommendations for the government and prime minister Keir Starmer. This includes establishing a “National Commission for Electoral Reform” next year, tasked with recommending a “fair and democratic” replacement to First Past the Post.
The report cites new research that indicates this year’s election result was the “most distorted in history”, and documents the “decline” of FPTP over decades, with turnout falling, results becoming less and less representative, and growing political instability.
Alex Sobel MP, chair of the APPG, said: “The popular vote a party needs to win a majority has been steadily falling for decades — and now First Past the Post has delivered a landslide on just a third of the vote.
“Are we really comfortable with a situation where a party — even an extreme party — can win a thumping majority with, say, just three out of ten votes? Because if things continue, that’s where we’re heading.”
***Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.***
The APPG launch comes as fresh polling by Survation has found that almost two thirds (64 per cent) of the public believe the government should act to address flaws in the voting system before the next election.
Meanwhile, just 13 per cent of Britons think campaign funding is transparent enough, while two-thirds believe social media companies fail to tackle disinformation and need tighter regulation.
Speaking at the launch event former first minister of Wales Mark Drakeford will say: “Proportional systems of voting treat voters fairly and avoid the distortions which are an inevitable part of First Past the Post elections.
“In Wales, the Senedd has been elected by proportional representation throughout its history, and has chosen to strengthen that proportionality at our next election. Today’s report suggests a practical way in which reform of the Westminster electoral system could be pursued, restoring democratic fairness and confidence in the minds of UK citizens.
“By treating voters so unfairly and producing such distorted results, Westminster’s electoral system is driving a wedge between politicians and the people they are supposed to represent. A National Commission on Electoral Reform would be an important first step towards allowing people to again have confidence in Britain’s political system.”
Green Party MP Ellie Chowns, one of the APPG’s vice chairs, said: “Polling shows there’s now record and majority public support – especially among those who trust politics the least – for changing to a fair voting system that makes every vote count equally. The Prime Minister says restoring trust in politics is a priority, but it’s not possible without addressing the underlying causes.
“The government should launch an independent National Commission that allows citizens, alongside experts, to recommend a new system in which every vote counts equally.”
Ellie Chowns: ‘Let’s seize the moment to haul our clunking democracy into the 21st century’
The Liberal Democrat’s Lisa Smart MP, APPG Vice Chair, said: “‘It’s no wonder that trust in politics has sunk to an all time low. First Past the Post has been delivering less and less representative results for decades — and in this year’s election almost six in ten voters didn’t get the MP they voted for.
“Turnout amongst eligible voters fell to just 53%, an all time low. Millions of people know that their votes are simply irrelevant, that their views go unrepresented, and that they have no real say in how the country is run.
“Restoring trust is now urgent and the starting point is a National Commission, where peoples’ voices are empowered to explore what is frankly a scandal at the heart of our democracy.”
The APPG is also calling for loopholes in the political donation rules to be closed, the Electoral Commission to be strengthened, and for transparency to be required from social media companies about how they handle “legal but harmful” content, including disinformation.
The group has been backed by senior Conservative figures, including former cabinet minister and leadership candidate, Rory Stewart.
Stewart said: “I welcome the setting up of the new APPG. Its objectives, replacing First Past the Post with a more proportional system that more closely matches seats to votes, eliminating dark money and undemocratic influence from our politics and countering disinformation in the public discourse are ones I whole-heartedly support”.
Amber Rudd, former Tory home secretary and another campaign supporter, said: “We need to address the growing distrust and division in our politics. Our democratic institutions should be a global benchmark, and modernisation is essential to achieve this.
“With a growing cross-party consensus in support of electoral reform, I fully endorse the APPG for Fair Elections’ efforts. Now is the time to strengthen British democracy.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.
