Historic moment as Unite (the Union) votes at its conference to back PR

I think that if Labour stood up for PR it would be a change many people could get behind. Many people would "lend" them their vote in order to get it.

Mark Drakeford has urged Labour to change the way MPs are elected at Westminster.

Wales' first minister said he is "baffled" by people who support first-past-the-post elections.

Labour should go into the next general election promising to reform the electoral system as part of a project to "save the United Kingdom", he said.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-59056488?at_campaign=64&at_custom1=%5Bpost%20type%5D&at_custom2=twitter&at_custom3=%40BBCWalesNews&at_custom4=55A28052-3701-11EC-8430-657C96E8478F&at_medium=custom7

It's not just about getting rid of the Tories, it's about creating a more equal and fair society, which is what we all want surely.

The Electoral Reform Society and others are campaigning for a Citizens Assembly to address climate change as our present form of decision making is so undemocratic and ineffective at dealing with the need for urgency action.

Sign the petition

actionnetwork.org/forms/democratise-to-decarbonise-we-need-a-citizens-assembly-on-democracy

lemongrove

Just because unions vote for something doesn’t mean it will happen....it won’t.I don’t think there is an appetite in Parliament to go over to the PR system.

Of course there is no appetite in this parliament to change to a more democratic system of elections when, at the last election, the Tory Party gained an eighty seat majority on the basis of a minority of votes.

The only other country in Europe which uses FPTP is Belarus - hardly an example of democracy. All other European countries use some form of PR .

The purpose of the Tory Party may be to maintain an undemocratic voting system which keeps them in power against the will of the people, but that is indefensible. It is time we became a democracy in the true sense of the word, where a government is formed by a party or coalition elected by a majority, not by a minority of votes.

www.labourforanewdemocracy.org.uk/unions

At the recent Labour Party Conference an overwhelming majority (more than 80%) of constituency representatives voted to change our electoral system from First Past The Post to Proportional Representation, but they were outvoted by the unions, so it is hugely significant that Unite, the largest union, has now also come out in support of PR.

www.labourforanewdemocracy.org.uk/

www.electoral-reform.org.uk/unite-vote-to-oppose-first-past-the-post-hailed-important-shift-in-campaign-for-fair-votes/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ers-email&utm_campaign=electoral-reform&utm_content=Blog+Round+Up+23+Oct+Fallback

Just because unions vote for something doesn’t mean it will happen....it won’t.I don’t think there is an appetite in Parliament to go over to the PR system.

I see it as the only way to get a level of representation in Parliament based on the equality of each vote Dinahmo.

If it gets rid of the Tories, that's a bonus . Even if it didn't - and there may be a majority for them, although I have yet to see it proved, it will negate the acts such as the recent gerrymandering of boundaries.

Lets hope that other unions follow suit. PR is the only way in which to get rid of the Tories.

Visgir1

MaizieD

I'd applaud that as a positive move, Pippa if I didn't suspect that it was an anti Starmer move.

Interesting the Sharon Graham the new General Secretary didn't attend the recent Labour Party Conference?

She hasn't, to my limited knowledge, come out against Starmer, but hasn't she said she's more interested in defending and supporting her members than in internal LP politics? I was just thinking of this being a possible carryover from the McCluskey era.

Having said that, I think that it is well past time that we voted by PR. First Past The Post is such an undemocratic and depressing system.

MaizieD

I'd applaud that as a positive move, Pippa if I didn't suspect that it was an anti Starmer move.

Interesting the Sharon Graham the new General Secretary didn't attend the recent Labour Party Conference?

Quite a few anti Starmer moves Focus Group Gives DAMNING Verdict On Keir Starmer

Good news about Unite backing PR

He's pretty keen on focus groups.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=usDlRF9mFEY

Lost to independent in local by election

Rainworth South and Blidworth (Newark and Sherwood) by-election result:

IND: 66.2% (+35.8)
CON: 17.1% (-12.9)
LAB: 16.7% (-22.9)

Independent GAIN from Labour.

And polling behind Tories.

Ah ha. I didn't realise that was the case, Maizie. I have little time for the infighting in the LP. Maybe Starmer will see he has to adapt to improve our democracy

I must admit I am likely to vote for a PR supporting party next time. I don't want only those voting for one of the two major parties to have a disproportionate representation in government, anymore.

I'd applaud that as a positive move, Pippa if I didn't suspect that it was an anti Starmer move.