LDER at the Spring Conference in York
This year’s Spring Conference offered a timely reminder of why electoral reform matters — and why the months ahead could be decisive. With May’s local elections likely to produce another round of unpredictable and unrepresentative results, and the Representation of the People Bill moving towards its report stage, the case for fair votes is becoming harder to ignore. LDER will be launching its Fair Votes: Let’s Fix Politics campaign during this crucial period.
A notable moment at Conference came when Ed Davey was asked which single law he would pass if he could do so without parliamentary obstacles. His answer was straightforward: proportional representation, which he described as the reform that would enable progress across health, care, education, transport, social justice and the environment. It was a clear signal of the importance of electoral reform within the party’s wider vision.
Saturday evening in York saw an upbeat fringe meeting on the prospects for reform, led by Lisa Smart MP, our spokesperson and Vice Chair of the Fair Elections All-Party Parliamentary Group; with Emma Harrison of Make Votes Matter and Lena Swedlow, of Compass. LDER member Paul Walter was in the audience and wrote a rousing review which he published on LD Voice.
Delegates also had the opportunity to take an early look at our new campaign strategy and toolkit, focused on how fair votes can strengthen communities and improve outcomes for people across the UK. More than 50 delegates — including over 20 MPs — shared their priorities for reform.
The conclusion from our experience at this year's Conference was clear: momentum is building. If you are not already involved in our camapaign, join us and help us introduce the fairer voting system the country deserves.