Petition Referendum on changing the Electoral System To Proportional Representation (PR)
We are petitioning for a National Referendum to decide whether the current electoral system should be RETAINED or REPLACED by a system where the number of MPs each party gets reflects the proportion of votes received nation-wide. Commonly known as “Proportional Representation” or “PR”.
More details
A YouGov poll in January 2024 found that only 26% of people preferred the current FPTP system with 45% preferring PR so we think there is clearly a need for a re-evaluation of our electoral system.
In the latest 2024 General Election the biggest gap on record has emerged between the share of the vote won nationally by parties and the number of seats they have.
We believe most democratic way to decide this matter would be via a National Referendum on Electoral Reform.
Government responded
This response was given on 6 December 2024
The Government has no plans to change the voting system for UK Parliamentary elections.
Read the response in full
The United Kingdom has a robust electoral system which sits at the heart of our democracy.
The Government has no plans to change the voting system for UK Parliamentary elections.
The Government believes that the First Past The Post system, whilst not perfect, provides for a direct relationship between the member of the legislature and the local constituency.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
At 100,000 signatures...
At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament
Related activity
Proportional representation for general elections debated in Parliament
On Thursday 30 January, MPs debated proportional representation for general elections in Parliament.
This was a Backbench Business debate led by Alex Sobel MP. Housing, Communities and Local Government Minister Rushanara Ali MP responded on behalf of the Government.
Explainer
Backbench Business debates give MPs an opportunity to debate a topic of their choice, and receive a response from the Government.
They are a way to:
- raise awareness of an issue
- seek to influence government policy
- put the views of backbench MPs, political parties, and the Government on record.
They do not generally involve a vote on a particular action or decision.
Chamber debates: See our visual explainer on how these debates work.
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