Parliament and Politics: Reformers urge Labour to adopt PR
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.LABOUR should back a switch to proportional representation rather than more limited changes to the way MPs are elected, say members of the party's pressure group for electoral reform, writes Nicholas Timmins.
A survey of the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform has shown 63 per cent in favour of an additional-member system, which links seats in the House of Commons to the share of the vote won; 16 per cent backed single transferrable vote - the form of PR that the Liberal Democrats favour. Only 15 per cent favoured versions of the alternative vote where candidates are knocked out locally until one gains a majority of the votes. That system does not ensure that the overall result is proportional to the votes cast.
The results were disclosed as three Shadow Cabinet members - Robin Cook, Marjorie Mowlam and Ann Clwyd - yesterday called at the campaign's annual meeting for Labour to this year drop its backing for 'first past the post'. Its Plant commission on electoral systems is expected shortly to recommend that.
Mr Cook said: 'Labour has been kept out of power for four of the past five decades by the present system. Surely we cannot go on supporting a system that gives total power to our opponents and leaves out the views of everyone else?'
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments