Burnham announces National Commission
The Prime Minister has just announced that his Government will launch a National Commission on Electoral Reform.
This is huge news. The press release we've sent out to journalists is below.
More to follow. Thank you for making this happen.
PRESS RELEASE
Andy Burnham announces National Commission on Electoral Reform
The Prime Minister has announced in his Conference Leader’s speech that his Government will launch a National Commission on Electoral Reform to review Westminster’s voting system for general elections.
Andy Burnham first endorsed the idea of a National Commission at a Labour for a New Democracy Conference rally last year.
Today's commitment represents a significant promise fulfilled for the Prime Minister, a longstanding advocate for Proportional Representation and supporter of the campaign. It also brings the Labour Party in line with the public – 53% of people back a change to the voting system.
The move will be welcomed across the Labour movement. MPs, Party members and trade unions are overwhelmingly in favour of Proportional Representation. YouGov polling revealed that a majority of MPs, including a majority of Labour MPs, support the proposal for a commission to review the voting system.
Across the UK at least five parties now compete in Westminster’s two-party system. This unprecedented political fragmentation has prompted many experts to warn that First Past the Post is fast becoming a risk to the stability of British politics.
Laura Parker from Labour for a New Democracy said: “This is fantastic news -and decisive leadership from a Prime Minister who understands we need to rebuild trust in democracy. Our voting system is bust. The public knows it, an overwhelming majority across Labour know it, and now a Labour Prime Minister has committed to doing something about it. Ensuring everyone - in every place - will have a vote that counts”
Polling found that 55% of Labour MPs and a majority of all MPs back proposals put forward by the APPG for Fair Elections for a National Commission on Electoral Reform. Earlier this month the Chair of the APPG Labour MP Alex Sobel tabled an amendment signed by almost 200 MPs calling for the Commission.
Sobel said: “The Labour Party has always been the party of democratic reform, the Prime Minister today demonstrated why so many Labour MPs and members were right to put their faith in him. A National Commission can look at the issues in our democracy that Andy identified and consult the public, experts and civil society The commission will make independent recommendations for how general elections should be run in modern Britain.
Andy understands that you can’t fix politics on broken foundations, and that rewire the country and restore trust in politics with half measures. Today he has delivered on his promise. First Past the Post has few friends in the Labour movement. Labour members, unions, and MPs are all squarely behind Andy on this. It is brilliant to see him bringing back hope to the Labour movement and the country today.”
Notes to editors
● Andy Burnham first committed to establishing a National Commission on Electoral Reform at Labour for a New Democracy’s rally at Labour Party Conference 2025, saying ““I'm here to endorse the Labour for a New Democracy call for a National Commission in this parliament - and a manifesto commitment to a system of Proportional Representation to be introduced into Westminster elections in the next Parliament.”
● Almost 200 MPs (193) backed an amendment to the elections bill, calling for a National Commission on Electoral Reform - with polling showing a majority of all Labour MPs support the proposal. The polling of MPs was conducted by YouGov via online interviews with a representative sample of 100 MPs between 2nd - 26th July 2026.
● In 2022, Labour’s annual conference voted overwhelmingly to endorse Proportional Representation with the backing of the party’s affiliated trade unions. Labour for a New Democracy is now organising a fresh 2026 Labour Conference push to call explicitly for a National Commission on Electoral Reform.
● A separate poll for LabourList by Survation, published on 8 August, found that two-thirds of rank-and-file Labour Party members want the Government to launch a National Commission on Electoral Reform, with just 16% opposed.
● Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock backed the establishment of a National Commission on Electoral Reform in The Observer on 30 August 2026.
● The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections has produced proposed Terms of Reference for a National Commission on Electoral Reform, with input from leading electoral and constitutional experts
● The latest British Social Attitudes survey found that 53% of the public support Proportional Representation, up from 27% in 2011.
● In January dozens of business leaders wrote to the Government making the connection between the erratic FPTP voting system and diminished business confidence, as they deal with the effects of political churn on Government delivery and the international standing of the UK.
● In February, more than 50 leading academics signed an open letter warning that the collision of First Past the Post with multi-party politics was creating new risks for Britain.
For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Alex Zur-Clark at alex@labourforanewdemocracy.org.uk / 07790054388 or Joe Sousek at joe@labourforanewdemocracy.org.uk / 07402965566
ENDS
