An unfair electoral system

22nd December 2019

At the 2019 General Election the parties needed wildly different numbers of votes per MP, the Electoral Reform Society's analysis shows.

Under the absurd first past the post system at Westminster elections, 864,743 votes for the Greens resulted in one MP, and it took 334,122 votes to elect each Liberal Democrat MP. On the other hand, the Conservatives benefited from the system, with 38,300 votes per MP, as did the SNP (25,882 votes per MP).

642,303 votes for the Brexit Party didn't result in any MPs - although the Conservative and Unionist Party is now in effect the Conservative and Brexit Party instead, so Brexit voters might be satisfied with the outcome of the election.

The Electoral Reform Society's Senior Director called the system 'bankrupt'.

The Society says that 45% of voters go unrepresented. This is because, if they don't vote for the winning candidate in their constituency, their vote counts for nothing; it is as if they hadn't voted at all.

How to solve the problem

If we have a decent and fair government, it will address this fundamental problem with our democracy, and change the electoral system to proportional representation. The Conservatives will do it because, even though the current system hugely benefits them, they will recognise that it is hopelessly skewed and unfair, and changing it is the right thing to do.

The way Boris Johnson has been smirking and gloating since the election doesn't make it seem likely that he will do the decent and fair thing. If that's the case, he should be judged accordingly.

What can Andrew Jones MP do?

Andrew Jones MP should state publicly that he is in favour of electoral reform, and argue for it within his own party. That might not be the best thing for his party or his career, but it would be the right thing to do.

Will he do it? His track record suggests that he will put his party and his career before what is right, and before the interests of his constituents. His track record suggests that he will do exactly as he is told by his party managers, in the hope of getting a ministerial appointment. If that's the case, he should be judged accordingly.

When you look at the numbers, it is blindingly obvious that our system stinks, and is in urgent need of reform.