Andy Burnham urged to the change the voting system before it is ‘too late’: First-past-the-post vs proportional representation
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is set to call on Andy Burnham to introduce proportional representation before the next general election, warning that failure to act could be “too late”.
Speaking at the Institute of Government on Tuesday, Sir Ed is expected to warn Labor could find itself “powerless to do anything” to change the voting system after the election is over.
He will directly appeal to Mr Burnham to cooperate and suggest that if Mr Burnham is “serious about changing the way we do politics” then his “door is open” to discussions.
Mr Burnham has previously spoken in favor of changing the voting system in parliamentary elections to more closely reflect the support parties receive across the country, expressing support for replacing Britain’s first-past-the-post system with a form of proportional representation.
Asked about her view on electoral reform during an Ask Me Anything event on social media site Reddit, Burnham said: “I’m a strong supporter of electoral reform, in part because I believe it will enable a shift towards a more collaborative policy and a policy that is less about scoring points and more about problem-solving.”
He added that he would try to persuade his party that he should be given a manifesto commitment in the next manifesto, echoing a suggestion he made during his campaign in Makerfield.
The Labor Party conference voted to support a move to a proportional representation voting system in 2022.
The party’s 2024 manifesto instead focused on electoral and constitutional changes, extending the right to vote to 16 and 17-year-olds and reforming the House of Lords.
On Tuesday Sir Ed will tell Mr Burnham to “be brave, be brave” as he presses for proportional representation, adding: “And do it now. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”
“Don’t wait until after the next election; then you won’t be able to do anything about it.”
Mr Burnham, who will replace Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street on July 20 after nominating an overwhelming majority of Labor MPs, has pledged to “restructure” the British state and reach out to other parties to create a “more collaborative approach” to politics.
Sir Ed is expected to welcome the remark in his speech, echoing Mr Burnham’s criticism of the “broken political system”.
He will say: “If Andy Burnham is serious about changing the way we do policy, about ending the performative hostility and instead working to meet the challenges we face across Parliament, if he is serious, then my door is open.”
