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Open Set up a National Commission on Electoral Reform to review the electoral system

Created by Joan Ruddock
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I ask the Government to set up a National Commission on Electoral Reform, as advocated by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections. It should be an independent, time limited, expert led review to build consensus for changing the electoral system for the Westminster Parliament.

Along with 60% of the British public, according to some data, I believe it is time to change the voting system for the Westminster Parliament and review alternatives. I believe that too many people feel their votes do not count, and that under the First Past the Post system millions of votes are wasted and representation bears little resemblance to votes cast. In my view, a more proportional voting system would help ensure that representation reflected votes cast and that voters would be treated with respect.

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  • Government responded to this petition

    The Prime Minister has been clear about his commitment to electoral reform and welcomes a national debate about how our democratic system can best serve voters across the United Kingdom.

    Read the response in full

    The Government recognises the strength of feeling about the operation of our democracy and understands concerns that have been raised about public trust and confidence in the electoral system by a range of stakeholders, including the All Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections and those who have signed this petition.

    Trust is fundamental to the relationship between elected representatives and the public: without it, our democracy could not function. Electors should be able to participate with confidence that the system is secure, accessible and responsive to their concerns.

    A politics that works for all people in all places, not some people in some places, is this Government’s priority. The Prime Minister has been clear about his commitment to electoral reform and welcomes a national debate about how our democratic system can best serve voters across the United Kingdom. This is an important constitutional issue, and one which naturally attracts a wide range of views across political parties and from people throughout the UK.

    However, the Government's immediate priority is to deliver the important reforms currently before Parliament in the Representation of the People Bill. These measures will strengthen participation in our democracy by extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds, making voter registration more accessible, and protecting elections from foreign interference and other threats to their integrity. We have been clear that the current Bill is not intended to determine wider questions about electoral systems or proportional representation, and that the reforms it contains are not the totality of the Government's wider ambitions for democratic renewal.

    The Government notes the petition’s proposal for an independent, time-limited and expert-led commission to examine questions relating to electoral reform and build consensus. These are questions which must be approached deliberately and carefully, taking account of the potential implications for electors, electoral administrators, political parties, candidates, as well as for the effective and accountable operation of government.

    The Prime Minister is open to different ways of taking forward a national conversation about how every vote and every voice can be better reflected in our democracy, and the Government will set out its approach in due course.

    Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

  • Government will respond to this petition

    This petition got more than 10,000 signatures meaning that government will respond to it.

  • Related activity

    Use of first-past-the-post in general and local elections: debate in Parliament

    On 24 June, MPs held a debate on the use of first-past-the-post in general and local elections.

    This was a Westminster Hall debate led by Sarah Olney MP. Housing, Communities and Local Government Minister, Samantha Dixon MP, responded on behalf of the Government.

    For further information on this topic, see the research briefing from the House of Commons Library:

    Voting systems in the UK (June 2026)

    Explainer

    Westminster Hall 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 involve a vote on a particular action or decision.

    See our visual explainer on how these debates work.

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  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 30 September 2026.