Why Electoral Reform could be the most consequential decision from Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham’s announcement of a National Commission on Electoral Reform might not have been the headline-grabbing moment of his conference speech. But it could prove to be one of the most consequential.

Our political system isn’t working. It is failing to address the big challenges facing our society. It leaves millions feeling alienated because the system does not work for them. It’s destroying trust in politics.

It has to change.

At the heart of the problem is the First Past the Post voting system and the effect it has on democracy in our country.

Firstly, our current voting system was designed for a very different political landscape. When there are two dominant parties, it can produce a relatively straightforward contest. But Britain is now a multi-party democracy, and the system has not kept up.

Elections can now be won with well under 30% of the vote, while the other 70%+ of votes count for nothing. Is it any wonder why most voters are left unsatisfied with the outcome? 

We’ve seen Governments, including the current one, elected on just over a third of the vote. Polls suggest that our next government could win a majority with little over a quarter of the vote. Can anyone claim a democratic mandate with that level of support?

The job of an electoral system should be to reflect the wishes of the voters. That doesn’t happen in too many First Past the Post elections and it’s driving up the alienation people feel today.  

The second problem is where politicians and parties have an incentive to focus their attention. Under First Past the Post, the outcome of a General Election can depend on a small number of swing (or ‘hero’) voters in a relatively  small number of closely contested seats. 

The parties will often understandably gear their campaigns and their policies to that small group of voters. That’s wonderful if you are lucky enough to be one of those 1 in 5 voters, but for the rest of us, it leads to massive frustration and alienation. 

It gets worse after the election because often the party that won the election will continue to focus on that small group of voters. No wonder that so many big problems are left ignored. 

It’s not that the parties want to do this, but the voting system rewards parties that work in this way. This has been a huge factor in why so many people feel that politics doesn’t work for them. A different voting system can change this and make all votes and voters equally as valuable and valued.

The third problem is the way First Past the Post forces many people to vote tactically if they want their vote to matter.

Voters have to choose between voting for the candidate or party they actually support and voting for someone else, simply because they think that candidate has the best chance of defeating the person they most want to keep out.

Even worse, in an era of multi-party politics, it might not even be clear which candidate is the right one to back to beat the party you don’t like!

This is the unsatisfying choice that is forced on millions at every General Election. Is it really too much to ask for voters to be able to vote with their hearts and have it count? 

All this is why electoral reform matters.

That’s why the Prime Minister put changing the voting system at the heart of the Government’s agenda. It’s about building a system that works for voters in a modern democracy.  

The people are ahead of the politicians on this. Changing the voting system enjoys strong public support, not just amongst Labour voters, but Conservative, Reform UK, Liberal Democrat, Green Party, Plaid and SNP voters too.

They want their votes to matter and their voice to be heard.

Changing our voting system is essential to making that happen. It’s key to reducing the alienation and distrust in politics we see across the country. 

A National Commission on Electoral Reform is a massive step towards change and we look forward to engaging with it.