Joe Sousek outlines the need for a National Commission supported by the APPG Fair Elections
The last general election was the most disproportionate in British history – and our politics has only fragmented further since. First Past the Post is set to produce even more unrepresentative results in the future, undermining trust in politics and threatening the stability of our democracy.
Labour knows First Past the Post is causing distrust in politics, and Ministers are acting on this by abolishing the system for mayoral elections. But the Government has a responsibility to address First Past the Post for general elections as well.
A National Commission on Electoral Reform, as proposed by the APPG for Fair Elections and dozens of Labour MPs, is the way forward. A Terms of Reference will be available on the APPG’s website (www.fairelections.uk), which sets out how such a commission could address the core question of what a suitable voting system for modern Britain looks like, while at the same time fostering a much-needed national debate.
The huge support for electoral reform that now exists – among the public, within the governing party, and across Parliament – provides a unique political opportunity. A National Commission on Electoral Reform is a ready-to-go plan with which to seize this opportunity.