Britons favour proportional representation over First Past the Post, poll finds

It comes after MPs narrowly voted in favour of reforming the voter system, in what was a symbolic vote, unlikely to become law, earlier this week.

Voting Ballot Box

Britons favour a proportional representation voting system over the current First Past the Post system, a new poll has found.

The poll, carried out by YouGov, found that 44% of respondents said they prefer proportional representation, where the number of MPs parties win will more closely match their share of the vote, while just 23% backed the current First Past the Post voting system.

It comes after MPs narrowly voted in favour of reforming the voter system, in what was a symbolic vote, unlikely to become law, earlier this week.

The vote, on a Liberal Democrat 10-minute rule bill, calling for a PR system for UK parliamentary elections and for local elections in England was passed by 137 votes to 135. It is believed to be the first time the Westminster parliament has backed such a plan.

The Bill is unlikely to progress in its current form due to a lack of parliamentary time to consider it at second reading, with Downing Street also making clear that it has “no plans” to reform the voting system.

Last month, MPs from across the political divide came together to issue a cross-party call for Britain’s First Past the Post voting system to be scrapped.

The new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections is calling on the government to establish a ‘National Commission for Electoral Reform’ to allow citizens, alongside experts, to recommend a fair and democratic replacement for First Past the Post.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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