@alexzurclark
Parliamentary Organiser @Labour4PR.bsky.social 🌹 Supporting @appgfairelections.bsky.social, the largest group in Parliament 🏛️ Working to restore trust in government. For fairness, equality and democracy.
This was the hardest speech I've ever made, speaking about my own experiences of our justice system in opposition to my own party's proposals on courts.
Very grateful for all of the gentle and kind responses, and hope I have given a voice to other survivors who feel as I do without my platform.
“Now Labour is in government it’s time to change the system at home and ensure that every vote counts so that no woman will ever say again, ‘my vote doesn’t make any difference’.”
@julie4north.bsky.social
#IWD #InternationalWomensDay #Democracy 💜💚
northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politic...
💥 Professor Vernon Bogdanor writes for @financialtimes.com:
"An electoral system should do two things: ensure that the majority rules and that significant minorities are adequately represented.
First Past the Post achieves neither."
“In Monday’s debate, Labour MPs were among many calling for a national commission on electoral reform…
The PM is pulled from pillar to post and his in-tray is no doubt full; still, this should be near the top of it.”
✍️ @pollytoynbee.bsky.social
@theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Inequality in Britain is rampant, writes @pollytoynbee.bsky.social, and has become so with the help of our electoral system.
Our new research paper, 'Lifting the Lid', links our fragmenting voting system to mass regional deprivation, and regional deprivation to the all-powerful nature of FPTP.
🗳️ "We can do better than fighting elections on the basis of the best worst option."
👏 "I want to put on record my support for the work of the APPG for Fair Elections and to urge ministers to look at the call for some form of National Commission on Electoral Reform."
@jamesnaish.bsky.social
Simon Opher, Labour MP for Stroud, calls for a National Commission on Electoral Reform 👇
This Bill does not touch on electoral reform however. I'm calling on the Government to establish an electoral commission to look at alternatives to First Past the Post.
People should be able to vote for the best person, not the best guess. (3/3)
Last night I voted for the Representation of the People Bill, a landmark step to increase participation and fairness in our democracy. (1/3)
📜 The House of Commons just debated the Representation of the People Bill
💥 Great to see more Labour MPs joining the call for a National Commission on Electoral Reform
📺 @patrickhurley.bsky.social @catsmithmp.bsky.social @chriscurtis94.bsky.social & @jamesnaish.bsky.social
🌹 #Labour4PR
"This Labour government can still build consensus for an alternative, but it must do so urgently.
We need a national commission on electoral reform"
✍️ Beccy Cooper MP & Tim Roca MP
#Democracy
@drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social @timrocamp.bsky.social @politics.co.uk
www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...
"The Westminster system is crumbling. Labour must rebuild it – or we will find ourselves under the rubble."
✍️ Beccy Cooper MP & Tim Roca MP
🌹 #Labour4PR #ElectoralReform #Democracy
@drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social @timrocamp.bsky.social @politics.co.uk
www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...
“Treating our democracy as a bargaining chip in an age of populist anti-democratic movements would be an act of reckless complacency”, write Labour MPs @timrocamp.bsky.social and @drbeccycoopermp.bsky.social
✍️ Labour must not bind Britain’s fate to the failing electoral system
What an incredibly weird interaction. Matt Goodwin making that bloke look completely normal by comparison.
🚨 Gorton & Denton shows “First-past-the-post is creaking at the seams” warns @drhannahwhite.bsky.social of @instituteforgovernment.org.uk
🙈 “Maintaining the parliamentary status quo... is dangerously short sighted."
#ElectoralReform
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gort...
👀 “leadership would mean recognising this byelection as a warning – an urgent signal of the need to prepare UK democracy for a multi-party future”
🚨 "First-past-the-post is creaking at the seams"
@drhannahwhite.bsky.social on Gorton & Denton
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gort...
We need democratic equality. We should demand proportionate voting. Labour’s members, unions and growing numbers of MPs already back it.
We must end the era of accepting democratic legitimacy exists on a minority of votes. It doesn’t.
Interesting overview from @alanrenwick.bsky.social on the range of democratic reforms that will come into focus during the Representation of the People Bill, from dark money to disinformation and Westminster's failing electoral system 👇
“Many MPs now back a move from First Past the Post… public opinion appears to have shifted in favour of such a change as well.
When the government’s policy paper was debated last summer, multiple Labour MPs stood up to make the case.”
@alanrenwick.bsky.social looking ahead. Bill debate on Monday!
Strong language here from one of the nation’s leading constitutional experts on this legislation
Excellent from Labour’s MP candidate in Gorton and Denton, Angeliki Stogia 👇🏻
"And the next election under first past the post, if it stays anything like that, is just going to be chaotic... So we've got to bring in proportional representation."
Compass Director Neal Lawson on the need for PR on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on @skynewsrss.bsky.social.
🌹 @annadixonmp.bsky.social flags some of the major risks First Past the Post now poses for the UK
⚠️ The govt's line that it has "no plans" to address this is not sustainable
🤝 It's welcome that Ministers will meet @appgfairelections.bsky.social to discuss a National Commission on Electoral Reform
@jenny4suffcoast.bsky.social
In the 1950s, Labour and the Tories won 95% of the vote combined.
Last election? Just 58%.
The two-party era is over. Clinging to First Past the Post won't save progressive politics – it risks breaking it.
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP writes
We need a fairer voting system. 🗳️
Our current system "will lead to random and arbitrary outcomes, which will risk undermining democratic legitimacy and further damaging public trust in politics."
https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/academics-warn-voting-system-not-fit-multi-party-politics
Goldman: "Republicans have created distrust of our electoral system -- not based on evidence -- and then they're gonna say, 'Oh, we have to solve this mistrust we've created.' No. That's not how it works."
"The collision of a multiparty electorate with a voting system designed for two parties is creating new risks for Britain".
I signed this letter. It's not about blocking Reform;it's about the danger to democracy of a system that can't cope with multiparty voting
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
As a proud serial signer of letters I had forgotten about this one (and I’m told I was the first to sign - so it was a little while ago tbf!). Britain’s electoral system cannot handle the present scale of political fragmentation and could easily turn up a bizarre result.
Time for change!
Over 50 academics have written to the government to warn that the current voting system risks producing distorted results on an "unprecedented" scale at the next general election. www.politicshome.com/news/article...
