First Past the Post to be scrapped for mayors & PCCs

Written By Joe Sousek

Some very welcome news... the Government has set out plans to abolish the First Past the Post voting system for mayor and police & crime commissioner elections.

The English Devolution and Empowerment Bill reverses the change made by the Tory Government in 2022, which replaced the longstanding ‘preferential’ voting system with First Past the Post.

This is not only a significant win in itself - one that will reverse the worrying trend towards mayors elected on smaller and smaller shares of the vote - but an important signal that the Government understands First Past the Post is not fit for purpose.

There is an overwhelming consensus across the Labour movement in favour of a fair, democratic voting system in which every vote counts in our general elections - members, trade unions, local parties, and amongst MPs.

With the most pro-PR Parliamentary Labour Party in history, it should be no surprise when the House of Commons votes for PR for the first time ever, or when the APPG for Fair Elections becomes the biggest all-party group in Westminster.

Behind the scenes, Labour MPs are pushing for PR and the steps that will take us there - including raising the possibility of a private members bill to scrap First Past the Post for mayors as a means of lobbying the Government early in this Parliament.

Today’s news shows this is approach beginning to bear fruit, with the Government taking action to scrap First Past the Post - a voting system it knows is driving distrust and alienation in politics - for some UK elections.

With First Past the Post coming under unprecedented strain in an increasingly volatile, multi-party world - and with public support for electoral reform now at an all time high - we need to keep pushing for Proportional Representation.

As a first step, the Government must set up a National Commission for Electoral reform to find a fair, representative way forward.

Joe Sousek

Next

Support for PR at an all-time high