Closed petition Use proportional representation for all local elections

Closed on 24 March 2022

To ensure correct representation, proportional representation (PR) should be used for electing councillors and members in all local elections, including for newly-formed unitary authorities.

Local government is a form of devolution, and the devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales & NI use PR in their elections.

At the 2017 North Yorkshire County Council elections, for example, the Conservative Party gained 53.3% of the vote but achieved 76.4% of the Councillors (55). Labour & Liberal Democrats received a combined vote of 1/2 the Conservative vote but just over 1/8 (7) of the Conservative Councillors. Independent candidates received 1/3 of the combined Labour & Liberal Democrats vote but had 10 seats, 3 more than Labour & the Liberal Democrats combined. If future local elections use PR it gives an opportunity for real devolution and democracy in England.