Make Votes Matter

This, for me, is the decisive argument for getting rid of FPTP: voters, activists, and strategists will effectively be going into the next election blind, and a lot of the results will feel basically random

If Reform ever wins power in Westminster, it will be because of Labour’s cowardice | George Monbiot Starmer could improve our unfair electoral system to stop the hard right, but he won’t. All the party has left are threats about ‘splitting the vote’, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Regardless of which party you support, this is a key point by @georgemonbiot.bsky.social:

"With Proportional Representation, no one would ever need to worry about splitting the vote again. We could vote for the parties we actually wanted."

Wouldn't that be nice? To vote with hope, not fear?

Sure, we may not be #GRAMMY winning artists.

But we also want our voices to be heard.

Hmm. Something to think about 👀

We don't know who will win in Gorton and Denton. But we can be almost certain that:

- The next MP will have received a small minority of the vote, likely under 1/3.

- Thousands will vote tactically and not for who they actually want.

This is not what democracy should look like.

"Our First Past the Post electoral system is not fit for purpose.

Countries with PR systems report a higher level of voter trust and of voter turnout than in the UK."

Well done to our activist Sue whose letter was printed in today's Oxford Mail and Oxford Times👇

So we've had six Prime Ministers in the past decade and rumours keep swirling about a 7th one on the horizon.

And yet people who should know better are still telling us that First Past the Post leads to political stability.

Were you living in a cave or what? 🤦🏻‍♀️

We're not accepting 2 party politics anymore. A party's representation in government should be proportionate to their vote share

National Commission on Electoral Reform: Terms of Reference APPG for Fair Elections

🔑 Key takeaways:

📊💥 Record political fragmentation has broken First Past The Post

📉 Public distrust is driving the public towards populist parties

‼️ FPTP may now harm Labour and the Conservatives

🗳️ Westminster needs a National Commission on Electoral Reform

www.fairelections.uk/national-com...

It was great to see such good turnout today 💪

Thank you to everyone who took part.

Join the movement - Make Votes Matter

Join us if you agree.

It's not radical to think every vote should count.

It's not radical to think every constituency should matter.

It's not radical to think 34% of the vote is not a landslide.

It's not radical to want to vote for the party you truly support.

It's common sense. #PRnow

Each new defection confirms it: the old two-party system is dead and buried.

Under FPTP, this means chaos.

We can't keep pretending nothing has changed, stick with the same voting system and expect voters to still have trust in our democracy.

We need PR before it's too late.

Well said!

Brilliant she says it all - we should be able to be a faithful to our chosen politics, and not be a traitor to them, as forced to do so by FPTP and tactical voting.

What do #TraitorsUK and UK politics have in common? 👀

More than you might think...

Democracy shouldn't be a game. Share if you agree 👇 #Traitors #TheTraitorsUK

No wonder we keep getting governments that most of the public want gone.

"Only a fifth of the eligible electorate actually voted for the current majority government."

Under First Past the Post, that's enough for a "landslide".

@robfordmancs.bsky.social for @ukandeu.bsky.social 👇

Business leaders speak out for electoral reform - Make Votes Matter By Make Votes Matter Chair of the Board Susanna Dammann.

"Far from being a distraction from promoting growth and improving our living standards, electoral reform is a prerequisite for it.

It’s time to send a clear message to the government: our dysfunctional electoral system is holding our country back."

Our Chair of the Board Susanna Dammann responds 👇

Letter: The economic case for coalition government From Peter Norris and others

“We consider that the electoral system no longer serves the interests of UK business in generating growth."

Last week, @financialtimes.com published a letter from 20+ business leaders, calling for electoral reform.

It's great to see the business community join this conversation 👇

Clip from UKICE Lunch Hour.

"PR puts the power in the hands of voters rather than in the hands of politicians."

Such an important point by @appgfairelections.bsky.social Vice Chair @lisasmartmp.bsky.social.

Under FPTP, big decisions are made within the large parties. Under PR, voters have real choice.

"Voting reform is critical. It builds a longer-term, more collaborative culture." Andy Burnham

"When I was in Westminster, people didn't organise to get the best for their region. They spent all the time point-scoring."

At @instituteforgovernment.org.uk conference, @andyburnham.bsky.social called for a new voting system that would promote a "place-first, not party-first" culture.

We agree!

It's been obvious for ages that FPTP isn't fit for purpose in a modern democracy.

Why aren’t more people alarmed about this? Under these circumstances and with our current electoral system. We are planning on absolute chaos and everything that goes with it!

Many things to say about this.

Can we notice, for example, how 14% of the vote gives you almost twice as many seats as 17% of the vote?

Make it make sense.

🚨Just look at this poll. No party has over 25%.

It's never been more clear that the two-party system is dead and buried.

Under First Past the Post, this means complete chaos.

It's time to move on from our winner-takes-all politics. We need Proportional Representation - now.

And on current polling Reform will become an unpopular government elected with just 30% of the vote.
We MUST have #PR #ProportionalRepresentation NOW

They say 2026 is the new 2016...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

That is, unless we address the root of the problem: our broken voting system.

Recognizing Movements and Watching Elections: How We Build Lasting Political Power Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, sports and entertainment, judicial offices and the private sector—with a little gardeni...

Countries that use proportional representation—particularly when paired with gender quotas—come closest to achieving gender-balanced governance.

More in the latest Weekend Reading:

Changing party politics in the UK

In 2025, 16% of councillors were elected with majority support - down from 65% in 2021

👇 In the latest blog, Alberto Smith (@makevotesmatter.bsky.social) explores an evolving political landscape & implications of fragmented voter support
www.radixbigtent.org.uk/programmes/r... @ukandeu.bsky.social