Motion on Proportional Representation

A Labour government, able to deliver the change the country needs, is a huge opportunity. But the 2024 election produced the most distorted result in British history - demonstrating the need for us to change from the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system. Labour got one in three votes but holds almost two-thirds of the seats in Parliament. The vast majority of voters got neither the person they voted for as their local MP, nor the party they backed in government. This is not sustainable.

This CLP / BLP agrees with Labour’s members, Constituency Labour Parties, affiliated trade unions, and annual conference which all overwhelmingly support Proportional Representation (PR) for general elections. PR would reduce the risk that the progress Labour makes in government will be undone by a future Conservative majority government elected with minority support.

FPTP is no defence against the far right. It creates the kind of grievance and resentment that people like Nigel Farage thrive on - and is just as capable of delivering a far right majority government on a third of the vote as it is a Labour majority government.

PR would help restore trust in politics which remains at an all time low, with voter turnout as low as ever. Recent polls have found record and majority public support for adopting PR. The Prime Minister has said that “the fight for trust is the battle that defines our age.” To win this battle, Labour must trust the voters by giving everyone a vote that counts.

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