Lib Dems push PM-designate Burnham to adopt proportional representation
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is pressuring incoming British prime minister Andy Burnham to scrap the UK's first-past-the-post system before the next election, a shift that would end Britain's status as Europe's main electoral outlier and fundamentally alter its governance.
Sir Ed Davey has called on incoming prime minister Andy Burnham to introduce proportional representation before the next general election, bypassing a public referendum. The Liberal Democrat leader warned that if Labour waits until after the next vote to overhaul the electoral system, it might be "too late".
For European observers, the debate marks a potential end to Britain's long-standing status as the continent's primary electoral outlier. The UK is the only major European democracy that still relies on first-past-the-post for its national parliament. Adopting PR would align Westminster with the rest of Europe, almost certainly ending the UK's tradition of single-party majority governments in favour of the coalition politics that dominate the continent.
Burnham, who is set to be confirmed as Labour leader on Friday and prime minister on Monday, faces an early test on the issue. More than 80 Labour MPs have backed an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill, tabled by Alex Sobel, calling for a commission to investigate a fairer voting system. The amendment, also supported by Lib Dem MPs, will be debated in the autumn.
While Burnham has previously voiced support for reform, his recent timeline is less clear. Last year he stated that "there is nothing more unstoppable than an idea whose time has come, and PR's time has come." On Reddit last week he wrote that he would "seek to persuade my own party" to include electoral reform in the next manifesto. However, during a recent by-election campaign, he suggested he would not change the voting system immediately upon taking office.
Davey dismissed the need for a referendum, pointing to the Conservative Party's past alterations to mayoral voting systems without public votes. He also noted that the 2011 referendum, which voters heavily rejected, was on the Alternative Vote system, which he said was "absolutely not" PR. "Be bold, be brave," Davey told the Institute for Government. "Fix the broken electoral system by introducing proportional representation... And do it now." If Burnham was "serious about changing the way we do politics", Davey added, "my door is open".
Burnham's personal conversion to PR stemmed from his experience as Greater Manchester mayor. Elected under the Supplementary Vote system, he noted it forced him to appeal beyond his base to secure second-preference votes from Green and Lib Dem supporters.
