Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to lead the way on electoral reform, arguing that Britain’s first-past-the-post voting system is “no longer fit for purpose”.
Writing in The Observer on Sunday, Kinnock said the case for changing the system used to elect MPs had become increasingly urgent as Britain moves towards a more fragmented, multi-party political landscape.
The former Labour leader, who led the party between 1983 and 1992, argued that first past the post was contributing to growing public alienation from politics and said reform should be seen as a democratic issue rather than simply an exercise in modernisation.
Kinnock wrote:
“Advancing democracy is a Labour cause. It has to be pursued.”
He pointed to growing support for electoral reform within the Labour movement, saying three-quarters of Labour-affiliated trade unions support change and that most Labour MPs now favour reform.
His intervention comes ahead of the Representation of the People Bill returning to the House of Commons for its report stage and third reading on Wednesday 2 September.
Labour MP Alex Sobel has tabled an amendment calling on ministers to examine the feasibility of establishing an independent National Commission on Electoral Reform.
Under the amendment, the Secretary of State would be required, within three months of the Bill becoming law, to publish a report on whether such a commission should be established.
The proposed commission would review the voting system used for elections to the House of Commons and make recommendations aimed at ensuring it is fair, representative and capable of maintaining public confidence in democratic outcomes.
The amendment has attracted significant cross-party support, including backing from a large number of Labour MPs.
Kinnock said Britain was increasingly operating as a multi-party democracy while continuing to use an electoral system developed around competition between two dominant parties.
He also highlighted the increasing use of tactical voting, arguing that voters were too often being encouraged to vote primarily to prevent a particular candidate or party winning rather than positively supporting their preferred choice.
Kinnock made the case for a more proportional system while stressing that any reform should preserve the direct relationship between individual MPs and their constituencies.
He argued that proportional representation could help deliver greater political stability and rebuild confidence in democratic institutions.
Kinnock also directly challenged Burnham to take the issue forward, pointing to the Prime Minister’s experience both at Westminster and as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
He described Burnham as a “dedicated pragmatic reformer” and argued that considering a national commission would provide an opportunity for his government to begin examining how Britain’s electoral system could be improved.
The intervention comes amid increasingly visible support for reform across Parliament.
Recent polling of MPs by YouGov, reported by LabourList, found 55% of Labour MPs surveyed supported the establishment of a National Commission on Electoral Reform, compared with 29% who opposed it.
The wider Representation of the People Bill already proposes substantial changes to Britain’s electoral system, including extending the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds, changes to voter registration and reforms covering political donations and the administration of elections.
Electoral reform itself, however, was not included as a commitment in Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto.
Kinnock’s intervention therefore adds a significant voice to those within the Labour movement arguing that the party should now begin a wider debate about how MPs are elected. Other Labour figures have been more cautious: Siobhain McDonagh has warned that proportional representation could strengthen party establishments, while Burnham has faced growing calls to act in his first 100 days.
With the Bill returning to the Commons this week, attention will now turn to the government’s response to Sobel’s amendment and whether Burnham is prepared to open the door to a formal review of first past the post.
