Frequently asked questions

Q1. Labour’s in power with a huge majority so doesn’t that finish any chance of proportional representation?

A1. Time will tell - with 72 MPs we are the largest-ever parliamentary party committed to voting reform. Also, a huge majority of Labour party members support reform - it was backed at Labour’s 2022 party conference by local parties and unions alike and its 2024 manifesto and King’s Speech refers several times to the need to improve how politics works and to increase public participation. We’ll keep making the case, inside Parliament and among the general public.

Q2. But we lost the 2011 referendum on electoral reform

A2. The referendum on the alternative vote (AV) was not about proportional representation or equal votes. AV has some merits but simply is not a proportional system and has never been Liberal Democrat policy. You could say we got stuck with it under the 2010 Coalition Agreement - a tactical mistake for which we paid a heavy price. But that is history and we have learned. We are campaigning on our long held belief in PR with our preferred system of STV.

Q3. Surely we need broader constitutional and political reform. Changing the voting system is only a drop in the bucket.

A3. Voting reform is not on its own sufficient bit it is the essential first step. LDER supports the party's package of political and constitutional reform, including proportional representation/STV for local government elections in England and Wales;  for a reformed House of Lords; and taking big/ dirty money out of politics. But Westminster voting reform needs to come first.

Q4. Under proportional representation, losers can win. First-Past-The-Post gives a nice clear result and a winner.

A4. Losers win all the time under FPTP. Every Government since WWII has been elected on a minority of the popular vote! More people vote against than for the 'winning' party. We saw this in 2024 when Labour  'won' despite two-thirds of electors voting for a rival party! Additionally, only 15% of MPs won a majority of votes in their constituencies. The question has to be asked: where's the winner; and where's the democracy?

Q5. First-Past-The-Post leads to strong and stable governments, whereas coalition governments formed as a result of other voting systems never get anything done. 

A5. The fact that in 2022 alone the UK had three different Prime Ministers and the chaos and volatile, broken politics of recent years undermines any such claims. FPTP is no guarantee of stability.
There are plenty of PR-using countries where there is stability, continuity and things get done - eg the Nordic countries, Germany; in fact just about everywhere - only Belarus in Europe also uses FPTP!

Q6. Proportional systems let in extremists.

A6. If an ‘extremist’ party wins a significant proportion of votes, It is only democratic for it to have its fair share of representatives. We can win the argument through debate and policy, not by denying them at the ballot box. 

A system which denies representation all too easily leads to populist claims of ‘victimisation’ and elitist ‘exclusion’.  We’ve also seen extremists use those claims to infiltrate mainstream parties - like Trump with the USA Republicans and the Brexit party with the Conservatives. Also, under PR you have to win a majority of the votes to win power. We’ve seen all too often how under FPTP you only need 35% or so support to get a majority. Take the Netherlands, where Wilders got 35% of the vote and had to negotiate with other parties. Under FPTP, he could well have been forming his own government with that level of support.
 

The next questions relate mainly to LDER and the Liberal Democrats.

Q7. Why do the Liberal Democrats support electoral reform?

A7. A proportional voting system, where seats in Parliament match votes, and where voters have equal voice and choice, has been a core belief of our party since we were formed. Our present voting system simply isn't democratic. Yes, over 18 year olds have a vote but election results distort, not reflect, how the people as a whole voted.

The people of this country deserve an inclusive political system where the majority, not the minority, has power; and where votes are equal. We need to make seats match votes; and ensure equal votes for equal citizens.
We support the Single Transferable Vote as the system which delivers maximum choice and power to the voter, as well as party proportionality (see the Case for Change).
 

Q8. The average voter doesn't care about electoral reform. It's a nerdy sideshow from what's important. We Lib Dems need to relate to what people care about.

A8. People know the problem: chrpolitics isn't working for them. It's up to us to listen to those views and be ready to propose the solution. By all means we need to focus on immediate concerns – the cost of living crisis, the state of the NHS, climate change. Voting reform underpins the changes our politics and our society needs. Including it the right way won’t harm our chances of being elected!

There is evidence of ever-increasing voter dissatisfaction with the way things work and of growing support for change. See, for example, these reports by the Electoral Reform Society, YouGov and the British Social Attitudes survey.

Q9. If the party already supports electoral reform, why do we need LDER? Why should I join?

A9. Our role is to inform and motivate as many party members as we possibly can to actively campaign for electoral reform. For example, in recent times, we’ve supported our MPs and Lords’ opposition to the 2023 Elections Act; a Make Votes Matter (a key non-party ally) national action day; and a local campaign day, working with our diversity team, in Keir Starmer’s constituency.

By joining LDER, you will strengthen our influence in the Party. As a member you will be able to help decide our policies and priorities and vote at our AGMs. Your support will help us promote our message inside and beyond the party throughout the year. Or, if you prefer, you can become a non-paying supporter and receive our regular newsletters.

Q10. Do you work with other parties who also support reform?

A10. Yes we do, sometimes directly and also through non-party, all-party reform organisations like Make Votes Matter, the Electoral Reform Society, Unlock Democracy and Compass. We welcome other parties to share platforms with us – Labour party members and also Greens have recently joined our Conference fringe meetings We are the leaders in this but we cannot do it on our own and nor should we try to. We want a more collaborative, cooperative politics, not the destructive tribalism we suffer from today.

Q11. British people don't know about proportional systems. How are we going to persuade them?

A11. PR is in use in the UK – throughout Northern Ireland and Scotland; in Wales and for many elections such as the Greater London Assembly in England. Millions of UK voters vote in proportional systems!

Q12. The Liberal Democrats only want PR because they can't win under the present system. You want to be the power "kingmakers" like in the hung Parliament after the the 2010 General Election.

A12. A proportional system, where seats match votes and where all votes are equal, has been in this party's DNA for a century. It's essential to a liberal society for all voters to have a meaningful, equal voice in our politics. In a democracy it's the electorate that decides and we want a system that reflects, not distorts, those decisions. It’s then up to the elected parties to cooperate in the best interests of the electorate and the country.

Please also go to the FAQs of key ally.