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The Government has insisted that Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues to support electoral reform – and has committed to meeting MPs to review proposals for change.
The pledge came during the third reading of the Representation of the People Bill in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening.
It followed an amendment, backed by 193 MPs across parties, being ruled out of scope by the Deputy Speaker. It was not called during the debate on the Government’s flagship Representation of the People Bill. That’s despite backers arguing it was supported by more MPs than any other amendment tabled in this Parliament.
Ministers have instead offered talks on changing the voting system. Democracy Minister Florence Eshalomi told MPs that Andy Burnham “remains committed to electoral reform”, while warning it was “premature to legislate now for one approach.”
She has offered to meet MPs from across the House to work up “a strong proposal” and discuss next steps.
Fifteen MPs, eleven of them Labour, made the case for a National Commission on changing Westminster’s First Past the Post voting system during the debate.
Following pressure from Labour MPs and progressive opposition parties in the debate, Minister Eshalomi said: “The Government’s priority is a politics that works for all people in all places, not some people in some places. The Prime Minister remains committed to electoral reform as a way of supporting that objective.
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“However, we must be honest, this is a complex constitutional matter and it is premature to legislate now for one approach. I would be very happy to meet with many Members from across the House to hear their views, and look at how we can work on a strong proposal and discuss the next steps.”
Outside Parliament, activists and representatives from Make Votes Matter, Compass and Unlock Democracy gathered behind a banner reading “Wake Up Westminster” and triggered 34 alarm clocks simultaneously – representing the 34% vote share that delivered Labour a landslide majority in 2024. They were joined by Labour MP Clive Lewis.
And on Thursday, representatives from Make Votes Matter and Compass were expected to deliver an open letter to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, signed by more than 20,000 people, calling for a National Commission on Electoral Reform to design a new voting system for the UK.
Emma Harrison, CEO of Make Votes Matter, said: “Just last year, Andy Burnham described proportional representation as ‘an idea whose time has come’. Now he has the opportunity to turn his longstanding commitment to fair votes into action.
“Our current voting system leaves millions without a voice in Parliament and allows entire communities to be ignored by Westminster. We already know that the Prime Minister is able to talk the talk: now he needs to show courage where it matters and actively push for this much needed change.”
Speaking at last September’s Labour Conference, Burnham said: “There’s nothing more unstoppable, is there, than an idea whose time has come. And PR’s time has definitely come… I’m here to endorse the call of Labour for a New Democracy for a National Commission to be set up in this parliament — and a manifesto commitment to a system of proportional representation to be introduced into Westminster elections in the next parliament.”
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Out of Scope
The amendment, tabled by Labour’s Alex Sobel MP as chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections, was ruled out of scope of the Bill and not put to a vote.
It had been signed by 193 MPs over its lifetime, including 101 Labour MPs – more than a quarter of the Parliamentary Labour Party – eclipsing even the amendment that forced a government u-turn on welfare reform, which drew 164 signatures.
Speaking during the debate, Sobel said: “The Prime Minister’s longstanding commitment to free and fair elections, support of young people and commitment to cleaning up our politics is well known.”
He added: “I am proud to be part of a party that has always fought to strengthen our democracy. We must now do that for a new generation, by facing up to the triple threat that disinformation, dark money and a failing electoral system pose. Westminster is unfortunately becoming dangerously outdated — a five-party electorate can no longer be represented by a two-party system.”
Other Labour MPs speaking in favour included Mike Reader, Joe Morris, Stella Creasy, Darren Paffey, Luke Akehurst, Joe Powell, Lizzi Collinge, Euan Stainbank, Anna Dixon and Sean Woodcock.
Labour backbencher Darren Paffey MP said: “I wish to express my regret that this [electoral reform] amendment is not considered. This Bill is an opportunity to go as far as possible to restore trust. Many of us believe that is now missing.”
And Lizzi Collinge MP told the Commons: “This Bill doesn’t address what I think is the most pressing question when it comes to our democracy — the glaring problems with our voting system. It’s clear that First Past The Post simply doesn’t work anymore, and that’s why I’m calling for a National Commission on Electoral Reform.”
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Lib Dem Lisa Smart was more cutting: “Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for confirming that the Government are putting forward a piece of legislation written in such a way that it prohibits proportional representation and fairer votes from being discussed on the floor of the House.”
Following the bill passing its third reading in the Commons – without any commitment to changing the voting system, Tom Brake of the campaign group Unlock Democracy said: “For the question of how people’s votes are translated into representation in Parliament to be deemed out of scope of a Bill entitled the Representation of the People Bill is palpably absurd and an embarrassment.
“First Past the Post is failing to represent how people vote. It routinely produces results bearing little resemblance to the choices voters made at the ballot box. And as support spreads across more parties, the gulf between votes cast and seats won is growing ever wider.”
Brake added: “The Prime Minister says he wants to build cross-party consensus on changing the voting system before the next election. An independent commission is the best way to do that.”
Polling and Party Pressure
A recent YouGov poll of parliamentarians found 53% of MPs support a National Commission, with 34% opposed; among Labour MPs it is 55% to 29%.
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock also backed the proposal in a piece for The Observer on 30 August, writing: “Advancing democracy is a Labour cause. It has to be pursued.” He was followed by Labour’s Rachel Blake MP, who wrote urging the Prime Minister to launch a Commission within his first 100 days.
A Survation poll for LabourList (8 August) found that two-thirds of Labour members back a Commission on electoral reform, with only 16% opposed. And the 2026 British Social Attitudes survey found 53% of the wider public favour changing the voting system to give smaller parties a fairer share of MPs, against 40% opposed. This is up from 27% support in 2011 – the year a change to the (non-proportional) Alternative Vote system was rejected by voters.
Labour’s 2022 conference also endorsed proportional representation, with strong trade union backing. Campaigners at Labour for a New Democracy are organising a fresh push at the party’s upcoming conference in Liverpool.
In January, business leaders wrote to the Government linking Westminster’s volatile voting system to weakened business confidence, while in February, more than 50 academics warned of the risks of FPTP colliding with multi-party politics.
Backers of the un-debated amendment spanned Labour, Lib Dems, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SNP, Alliance, Your Party, the SDLP and independents.
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