Burnham to fight next election on pledge to change voting system
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced plans to establish a national commission to explore electoral reform, potentially moving away from the UK's first-past-the-post voting system. The move follows internal party pressure and concerns regarding political turbulence and the legitimacy of governments elected with low vote shares.
Why it matters
Electoral reform would represent the most significant change to the UK's democratic structure in decades, potentially altering the balance of power between major and minor parties.
Image source, Reuters By Paul Seddon Political reporter Published 20 minutes ago Andy Burnham has promised that Labour will fight the next general election on a pledge to change the UK's voting system.
In his first party conference speech as prime minister, he announced plans for a national commission to explore options for electoral reform.
He invited other parties to work with the commission to ensure "everyone's vote counts, and everyone's voice is heard".
He has previously supported moves towards a proportional representation (PR) model, telling last year's conference that "PR's time has come".
Westminster's first-past-the-post system, under which candidates with the most votes in each seat are elected, has been called into question as the UK political landscape has fragmented in recent years.
Debate over the system has intensified since Labour amassed a huge parliamentary majority with a 34% vote share in 2024.
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