Labour ministers have warned electoral reforms could prevent Andy Burnham’s party from winning an outright general election majority.
The Prime Minister announced a new national commission, which aims to explore reforms, with all political parties invited to be a part of its work.
The move will be welcomed by nearly 100 Labour MPs who have backed calls for a commission to rethink the rules.
However, several Cabinet ministers have expressed concern it would reduce Labour’s chances of securing a majority.
Mr Burnham told his Cabinet the proposals were likely to prove controversial but argued that it was the right approach.
He told the BBC: “In an era of five party politics can we really watch a party with less than 30 per cent walk into Downing Street? Is that what we’re really about?
“We have had a decade of turbulence in our politics. That has stopped Britain moving forward.
“If we look to the next decade we need to show the markets, the world and everybody that we can have a better politics, more about problem-solving than point-scoring. That would come I think if we had a different approach to the voting system.”
Ministers have expressed concern they could be locked out
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Skills minister Baroness Smith of Malvern offered a notably tepid response, telling reporters: “Electoral reform isn’t top of my list of priorities.
“Good luck to the commission. I shall be interested with what it comes out with.”
Lady Smith nonetheless acknowledged Mr Burnham’s long-standing commitment to the cause, noting it enjoyed “a lot of support in the hall, probably a considerable amount of support in the country”.
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn was similarly cautious, praising an “inspirational speech” but adding on reform: “We’ll see what the commission on electoral reform produces.”
Alex Burghart took aim at the plans for electoral reform
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HOUSE OF COMMONSThe Conservatives hit back sharply at the announcement.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart accused the Prime Minister of having already decided what the commission would recommend, saying: “Sounds like he’s rather prejudged the outcome of the Commission. Burnham wants to remove voters’ power to sack their MP.”
Mr Burghart argued any shift away from first-past-the-post would necessitate a public vote and the timeline made implementation unrealistic before the middle of the next decade.
“It’s a bad idea that Labour would need to win a referendum on and couldn’t implement before 2034,” he said.
The legislation could shake up how future elections take place
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PACampaigners and policy experts broadly welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement, although many urged the commission to look beyond voting mechanics alone.
Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, called for “an independent and trusted process that focuses on making sure Parliament properly reflects the way the country voted”.
He added the most recent general election produced “the biggest mismatch in British history between the votes people cast and the seats parties won”.
Dr Nick Garland, of the IPPR think-tank, described first-past-the-post as “hopelessly unsuited to modern politics”, arguing it “artificially suppresses choice and turnout” while failing to deliver stable governance.
Charles White, from the Campaign for Compulsory Voting, pressed for the commission to tackle poor turnout through the Australian model of mandatory voting.
Will Snell, who works for the Fairness Foundation, warned poorer citizens were less likely to vote and urged the review to consider “the importance of who votes”, not merely electoral systems.
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