I have been contacted by constituents who would like to see political reform in the UK and, as some may be aware, this issue was recently debated in the House of Commons. As I was, unfortunately, unable to be present due to pre-existing diary commitments, I read the debate transcript with great interest and have provided a link to it here:
Proportional Representation: General Elections - Hansard - UK Parliament
Although each of the systems put forward for discussion was shown to have pros and cons, the PR system was lauded for being modern and practiced by many, much younger democracies than ours. However, I would point out our country has elected more stable Governments than most European nations have under proportional representation and our democracy has stood the test for time for generations.
I understand the passion to try and improve the UK’s political system and it is crucial that as politicians we always look for ways to improve. However, I do believe we should be proud of the peaceful and democratic way we govern ourselves as a nation.
While no system is perfect, the present FPTP system will, more often than not, ensure that elected governments have a working majority in Parliament. As well as decisive government, a clear opposition is often an outcome of elections using FPTP, allowing for effective scrutiny of the government of the day. This in turn allows for a more decisive, accountable and stable form of government.
I believe that alternative systems are less transparent, more complicated and less likely to lead to effective government so you will not be surprised to read that I fully support First Past the Post and I do not share your view that Proportional Representation would be a preferential system of voting for three fundamental reasons:
Under the system of proportional representation, seats are not awarded based on community or district voting. That means those who serve in the government are less likely to focus on local issues as they have no local representation responsibilities. It creates a system of government where more voices can be heard, but fewer actually receive a listening ear. Many communities under this system can come away feeling like they don’t matter to the governing coalition.
Italy has proportional representation built into their government structures. Over the last four decades, the government has been forced to dissolve its parliament 8 times. In Belgium, the negotiations required after their 2010 election to form a governing coalition took 18 months to complete, leaving a crippled government in its place where nothing got done. Having more voices can be a good thing, but it can also create a discord that makes it impossible to government.
Under the system of proportional representation, any party with a high enough percentage of the vote will receive a seat in the government, allowing a disproportionate influence by minority parties with minimal public support who typically end up holding the balance of power in PR systems. That structure can also make it easier for extremist views to find official representation.
Fundamentally, FPTP is a tried-and-tested system that ensures stability and clear accountability to voters by giving them a direct relationship with their MP. The British people were clear on this matter in a referendum on voting systems in 2011. FPTP is well established and understood by voters. It provides a clear and robust way of electing Members of Parliament and there is an unambiguous link between constituents and their representatives in Westminster.
Indeed, on 2 December 2024, the Deputy Prime Minister said this Government would not set up a national commission and would not examine proportional representation any further while Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rushanara Ali MP, responding for the Labour Government at the end of the debate on 3oth of January 2025, stated,
‘The UK’s democratic system and institutions are strong and are rightly held the world over as a strong example of democracy…at this time the Government have no plans to change the voting system for elections to the House of Commons.’
I do agree that upholding public trust is absolutely essential to maintaining a robust political system but am not so sure as others that the loss of trust this country has experienced over recent decades is simply down to the method we use to elect our politicians.
I hope this response explains why I believe using the FPTP system for UK parliamentary elections remains the best option for the UK's voters and decisive government.
