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Proportional Representation General Elections 2025-01-30
30 January 2025
Lead MP
Alex Sobel
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
Taxation
Other Contributors: 37
At a Glance
Alex Sobel raised concerns about proportional representation general elections 2025-01-30 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Labour has moved to debate the need for proportional representation in general elections, citing concerns about low voter turnout, unrepresentative election results, and declining trust in politics. Alex Sobel emphasised that first-past-the-post is failing on its own terms, leading to record-low levels of voter engagement and representative democracy. He called for a national commission for electoral reform as a starting point.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab/Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Eshalomi supported Sobel's motion, highlighting the issue of low voter turnout in the last general election. She agreed that change is necessary to increase public engagement and improve the democratic system.
Chelmsford
Goldman recalls her election experiences, highlighting voter disengagement due to the first-past-the-post system. She supports preferential voting systems that could lead to proportional results, advocating for reforms that would increase voter turnout and engagement.
Steve Race
Lab
Exeter
Race supports electoral reform but recognises the Government's priorities. He criticises previous measures like voter ID requirements and postal vote restrictions, suggesting returning to traditional voting methods without demanding ID. He recommends the Jenkins Commission's hybrid system for practical implementation.
Cameron Thomas
Liberal Democrats
Tewkesbury
Thomas supports electoral reform, citing his constituency's long-term Conservative representation as an example of a broken electoral system. He argues that proportional representation is necessary to ensure voter engagement and representative outcomes.
Andrew Ranger
Lab
Wrexham
Ranger emphasises the need for electoral reform to address declining public trust in politics, low voter turnout, and youth disillusionment with democracy. He advocates for proportional representation as a step towards fairer elections and increased voter engagement.
Richard Tice
Reform
Boston and Skegness
Tice argues that the current electoral system is unrepresentative and undermines trust in democracy, citing examples of misrepresentation in terms of seats and votes. He supports proportional representation as a fairer alternative.
Gagan Mohindra
Con
South West Hertfordshire
The hon. Member questions the lead MP's view on his Government’s proposal to reduce the voting age to 16, given that they were elected by voters aged 18 and above.
The hon. Member agrees with Luke Akehurst about voter disenfranchisement under first past the post and believes a different voting system would encourage more people to see their vote count towards influencing election results.
Lisa Smart
LD
Hazel Grove
As a Liberal Democrat, the hon. Member argues that proportional representation is urgent due to first past the post failing to translate voter will into parliamentary representation fairly and effectively. She cites specific election outcomes as examples of distorted representation (e.g., Labour securing 63% of seats with only 34% of votes) and emphasises that this system undermines trust in politics, leading to low turnout.
Lisa Smart
LD
Torridge and West Devon
Supports proportional representation as an alternative to first past the post, citing examples from Scotland and Wales where PR is used successfully. Emphasises the importance of democratic legitimacy and warns of political instability if trends continue without change.
Jas Athwal
Lab
Ilford South
Opposes proportional representation, arguing it undermines local relationships between representative and constituents. Cites British Academy's analysis suggesting PR degrades accountability. Also mentions potential for coalition Governments which may undermine the popular vote.
Siân Berry
Green
Brighton Pavilion
Supports proportional representation, highlighting its necessity in ensuring political pluralism and representation from diverse points of view across different nations. Criticises first past the post for leading to disproportionate elections and misrepresentative Parliaments.
Siân Berry
Green
Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Discussed the benefits of proportional representation through her experience in the London Assembly, emphasising how it can provide a platform for diverse voices to be heard. She highlighted specific positive influences on policy outcomes like rent controls and youth services. Cited examples from her constituency work involving council estate residents, private renters, young people, disabled individuals, and older people.
Andrew Lewin
Lab
Welwyn Hatfield
Advocated for a more proportional electoral system while emphasising the need to preserve the link between MPs and constituencies. Proposed an independent national commission on electoral reform to explore multi-member wards and single transferable vote systems. Called for consensus building across parties and suggested timing a referendum in 2031, which would be 20 years since the last such referendum.
Olly Glover
LD
Didcot and Wantage
Emphasised three key arguments for proportional representation: addressing the gap between voting patterns and parliamentary outcomes, increasing voter engagement, and reducing tactical voting. Noted that despite recent electoral performance benefiting from a more proportional system in some regions, Liberal Democrats have long supported this change on principle rather than self-interest.
Anna Dixon
Lab
Shipley
Dixon acknowledges the disengagement from politics due to tactical voting and under-representation, emphasising the need for fair votes. She supports proportional representation as a means to achieve stable government and long-term strategic policies in areas like social care reform. Dixon advocates for a national commission for electoral reform to address unrepresentative voting systems and rebuild public trust.
Clive Jones
Liberal Democrats
Wokingham
Jones expresses frustration with the current electoral system, citing historical examples of electoral reforms such as Catholic suffrage in 1829. He argues for fundamental change due to geographic location-based disenfranchisement and calls on the Government to commit to proportional representation.
Tim Roca
Lab
Macclesfield
Roca supports proportional representation, emphasising its importance in reflecting the will of the people. He highlights the declining legitimacy of the current system due to increasing under-representation and decreasing turnouts, and calls for electoral reform to address these issues.
Tiverton and Minehead
Stressed the importance of a fair electoral system for women, those with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. Highlighted that the current system often results in a Government being elected without majority support from voters.
Joe Powell
Lab
Kensington and Bayswater
Acknowledged the need for electoral reform to rebuild faith in democracy but also emphasised the importance of delivering on economic and social issues. Suggested restoring ranked choice voting for mayoral elections as a straightforward policy change.
Noah Law
Lab
St Austell and Newquay
Used his constituency to illustrate how the current electoral system fails to reflect the diverse political identities of communities. Argued that it entrenches social division rather than fostering constructive politics.
Claire Young
Lib Dem
Thornbury and Yate
Following up on that point, does the hon. Gentleman agree that, in our current system, people vote for what can actually be very loose coalitions? Our electoral system forces us to have very large coalitions in order to form a Government, but voters do not know which parts of those coalitions they are going to get after an election.
Sarah Olney
Lib Dem
Richmond Park
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart), the hon. Member for Leeds Central and Headingley (Alex Sobel) and all members of the all-party parliamentary group for fair elections for securing this important debate. It has been an exciting few months for the cause of fair votes in Parliament, and I am pleased to see Members of so many political parties advocating proportional representation in today’s debate.
Paul Holmes
Con
Hamble Valley
Will the hon. Lady give way? There was no Back-Bench speech from any Member of your party, and you will have your opportunity in a minute. Very democratic of you. Your Back Benchers could have spoken in this debate.
Paul Holmes
Lab
Hambleton
Defends first past the post as a fair and effective system, arguing it ensures clear accountability, stable governance, and a direct link between elected officials and their constituents. He cites historical examples of electoral reforms in Britain and references the 2011 referendum on voting systems, emphasising that voters rejected alternative systems.
Rachel Gilmour
Con
Tiverton and Minehead
Intervenes to question Paul Holmes about his stance on democracy and criticises the Liberal Democrat spokesperson. She implies that Holmes is more open to debate compared to Liberal Democrats.
Raises concerns about Israel's electoral system, suggesting it has led to disproportionate influence by extreme parties.
Richard Tice
Ind
North West Norfolk
Questions Holmes on why the UK should not adopt proportional representation given that most other major democratic nations use it. He argues against Holmes' point about stability and first past the post's effectiveness.
Requests to intervene multiple times, but is declined by Holmes due to his emphasis on completing his points.
Sarah Olney
LD
Richmond Park
Challenges the Conservative party's support for first past the post and questions its fairness, particularly in light of historical defeats. She implies that the system is outdated and should be reconsidered.
Jas Athwal
Lab
Ilford South
Is mentioned as one of the few MPs supporting Holmes' position on first past the post during the debate.
Paul Holmes
Con
Hamble Valley
He supports the first-past-the-post system, arguing that it delivers clear outcomes and stable governance. He believes that changing the system would be reckless and unnecessary.
Lisa Smart
LD
Hazel Grove
Corrected a factual error regarding vote counts from a previous debate on proportional representation, demonstrating the importance of accuracy in parliamentary debates.
Rushanara Ali
Lab
Leeds Central and Headingley
As Minister, she defended the current system while acknowledging its imperfections. She emphasised the need for a national conversation before any changes are made, prioritising economic growth over electoral reform.
Asked whether the individual mandate of MPs is strengthened under first-past-the-post compared to a party-list system, highlighting the direct relationship between MPs and their constituencies.
Cameron Thomas
Lab
Invited the Minister to join an all-party group for fair elections, emphasising the link between first-past-the-post and declining voter engagement.
The MP expressed concern about the lack of understanding regarding proportional representation. They highlighted that a referendum was held in 2011 on the alternative vote system, which is preferential rather than proportional. The MP argued against waiting another generation before addressing the issue and suggested considering the establishment of a commission to examine failures in the current electoral system and potentially move towards a more proportional one.
Government Response
Defended the current system while acknowledging previous efforts at reform. Stated that the government has no immediate plans to change the voting system but will continue to monitor and innovate in democracy.
Shadow Response
None
Shadow Response
Defends first past the post, arguing it is a fair and effective system that ensures clear accountability and stable governance. He criticises opposition parties for wanting to change the electoral system when they do not win under it.
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Assessment & feedback
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