Agenda item

 

This Council notes that the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system originated when land-owning aristocrats dominated parliament and voting was restricted to property-owning men. In Europe, only the UK and authoritarian Belarus still use archaic single-round FPTP for general elections.

 

Council supports fair votes for all and further notes that:

 

• the UK’s First Past the Post voting system curtails voter choice and leaves millions feeling unrepresented by their elected representatives. This growing disillusionment amongst voters is evidenced by low turn outs, particularly in local elections. These factors have contributed to dangerous levels of distrust and disillusionment with our democratic process.

 

• Proportional Representation (PR) is used to elect parliaments in more than 80 countries. Those countries tend to be more equal, freer and greener. PR ensures all votes count, have equal value, and that seats won match votes cast. Under PR, MPs and Parliaments better reflect the age, gender and protected characteristics of local communities and the nation. MPs better reflecting their communities leads to improved decision-making, wider participation and increased levels of ownership of decisions taken.

 

• PR would also end minority rule. In 2019, 43.6% of the vote produced a government with 56.2% of the seats and 100% of the power. PR also prevents ‘wrong winner’ elections such as occurred in 1951 when more people voted Labour than Conservative, yet the Conservatives formed the government.

 

• PR is already used to elect the Parliaments and Assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as London and the Welsh Senedd is reviewing legislation on Single Transferable Vote for local councils.

 

• There is a growing movement of supporters for Proportional Representation, with the Unite and Unison unions now backing PR.

 

• There is a range of options for implementing Proportional Representation systems, any of which would deliver a fairer and more representative democracy for electors.

 

Council believes

 

• that it is essential that faith is restored in our democratic system and that the public see both Parliament and Councils as fairly reflecting their views

 

• that our First Past the Post voting system is a significant barrier to restoring this faith which prevents the balance of opinion among the electorate being reflected in Parliament and local councils
• that a system of Proportional Representation in which seats match votes and all votes count equally would help to rebuild public trust by ensuring that all political views are represented in Parliament and local councils in proportion to their level of public support

 

Council therefore resolves to write to HM Government calling for a change in our outdated electoral laws to enable Proportional Representation to be used for general and local elections.

 

Council further resolves to ask all the MPs who represent Leeds residents to support changing our electoral system to a fairer Proportional Representation system.

 

 

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Forsaith, seconded by Councillor Carlisle that this Council notes that the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system originated when land-owning aristocrats dominated parliament and voting was restricted to property-owning men. In Europe, only the UK and authoritarian Belarus still use archaic single-round FPTP for general elections.

 

Council supports fair votes for all and further notes that:

 

• the UK’s First Past the Post voting system curtails voter choice and leaves millions feeling unrepresented by their elected representatives. This growing disillusionment amongst voters is evidenced by low turn outs, particularly in local elections. These factors have contributed to dangerous levels of distrust and disillusionment with our democratic process.

 

• Proportional Representation (PR) is used to elect parliaments in more than 80 countries. Those countries tend to be more equal, freer and greener. PR ensures all votes count, have equal value, and that seats won match votes cast. Under PR, MPs and Parliaments better reflect the age, gender and protected characteristics of local communities and the nation. MPs better reflecting their communities leads to improved decision-making, wider participation and increased levels of ownership of decisions taken.

 

• PR would also end minority rule. In 2019, 43.6% of the vote produced a government with 56.2% of the seats and 100% of the power. PR also prevents ‘wrong winner’ elections such as occurred in 1951 when more people voted Labour than Conservative, yet the Conservatives formed the government.

 

• PR is already used to elect the Parliaments and Assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as London and the Welsh Senedd is reviewing legislation on Single Transferable Vote for local councils.

 

• There is a growing movement of supporters for Proportional Representation, with the Unite and Unison unions now backing PR.

 

• There is a range of options for implementing Proportional Representation systems, any of which would deliver a fairer and more representative democracy for electors.

 

Council believes

 

• that it is essential that faith is restored in our democratic system and that the public see both Parliament and Councils as fairly reflecting their views

 

• that our First Past the Post voting system is a significant barrier to restoring this faith which prevents the balance of opinion among the electorate being reflected in Parliament and local councils
• that a system of Proportional Representation in which seats match votes and all votes count equally would help to rebuild public trust by ensuring that all political views are represented in Parliament and local councils in proportion to their level of public support

 

Council therefore resolves to write to HM Government calling for a change in our outdated electoral laws to enable Proportional Representation to be used for general and local elections.

 

Council further resolves to ask all the MPs who represent Leeds residents to support changing our electoral system to a fairer Proportional Representation system.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Cohen, seconded by Councillor Richards

 

Delete all after “First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system” in the first line, and replace with the following:

 

“is a tried and tested method for determining UK general elections that is well understood by voters, maintains a valuable geographic link between electors and their representatives, and is more likely than the alternatives to produce clearer results leading to stable government.

 

“Council notes that PR voting systems have their own disadvantages including providing a platform for extremist parties, a tendency to produce unstable coalitions, and a weakening of the link between MPs and their constituents.

 

“Council further notes that UK voters comprehensively rejected a proposal to change the voting system, by 68 percent to 32 percent, in a 2011 referendum and believes this result should be respected.

 

“Council therefore does not support any moves to change the current voting system for general and local elections.”

 

Motion would read:

 

“This Council notes that the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system is a tried and tested method for determining UK general elections that is well understood by voters, maintains a valuable geographic link between electors and their representatives, and is more likely than the alternatives to produce clearer results leading to stable government.

 

“Council notes that PR voting systems have their own disadvantages including providing a platform for extremist parties, a tendency to produce unstable coalitions, and a weakening of the link between MPs and their constituents.

 

“Council further notes that UK voters comprehensively rejected a proposal to change the voting system, by 68 percent to 32 percent, in a 2011 referendum and believes this result should be respected.

 

“Council therefore does not support any moves to change the current voting system for general and local elections.”

 

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Golton, seconded by Councillor Campbell

 

In the second to last paragraph delete the words ‘…Proportional Representation’ and replace with ‘the Single Transferable Vote system in multi-member wards and constituencies.

 

The amended White Paper will then read:

 

This Council notes that the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system originated when land-owning aristocrats dominated parliament and voting was restricted to property-owning men. In Europe, only the UK and authoritarian Belarus still use archaic single-round FPTP for general elections.

 

Council supports fair votes for all and further notes that:

 

• the UK’s First Past the Post voting system curtails voter choice and leaves millions feeling unrepresented by their elected representatives. This growing disillusionment amongst voters is evidenced by low turn outs, particularly in local elections. These factors have contributed to dangerous levels of distrust and disillusionment with our democratic process.

 

• Proportional Representation (PR) is used to elect parliaments in more than 80 countries. Those countries tend to be more equal, freer and greener. PR ensures all votes count, have equal value, and that seats won match votes cast. Under PR, MPs and Parliaments better reflect the age, gender and protected characteristics of local communities and the nation. MPs better reflecting their communities leads to improved decision-making, wider participation and increased levels of ownership of decisions taken.

 

• PR would also end minority rule. In 2019, 43.6% of the vote produced a government with 56.2% of the seats and 100% of the power. PR also prevents ‘wrong winner’ elections such as occurred in 1951 when more people voted Labour than Conservative, yet the Conservatives formed the government.

 

• PR is already used to elect the Parliaments and Assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as London and the Welsh Senedd is reviewing legislation on Single Transferable Vote for local councils.

 

• There is a growing movement of supporters for Proportional Representation, with the Unite and Unison unions now backing PR.

 

• There is a range of options for implementing Proportional Representation systems, any of which would deliver a fairer and more representative democracy for electors.

 

Council believes

 

• that it is essential that faith is restored in our democratic system and that the public see both Parliament and Councils as fairly reflecting their views

 

• that our First Past the Post voting system is a significant barrier to restoring this faith which prevents the balance of opinion among the electorate being reflected in Parliament and local councils
• that a system of Proportional Representation in which seats match votes and all votes count equally would help to rebuild public trust by ensuring that all political views are represented in Parliament and local councils in proportion to their level of public support

 

 

Council therefore resolves to write to HM Government calling for a change in our outdated electoral laws to enable the Single Transferable Vote system in multi-member wards and constituencies to be used for general and local elections.

 

Council further resolves to ask all the MPs who represent Leeds residents to support changing our electoral system to a fairer Proportional Representation system.

 

A third amendment was moved by Councillor Lewis, seconded by Councillor Wilson

 

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

 

“…..recognises the frustration of people not represented through the electoral process and notes that changes to voting systems is a national government question to answer. Council further notes that there are strong views on all sides of the debate on electoral reform.

 

“Council is very concerned by the Conservative Government’s Elections Act 2022 which risks suppressing voter turnout by introducing Voter ID, meaning many Leeds residents may no longer be able to vote, including some older and disabled people.

 

Council supports the lowering of the voting age to 16 to increase engagement in the electoral process and opposes the Government’s decision to limit engagement though Voter ID.

 

Council calls on the Government to implement measures to increase voter turnout by withdrawing the requirement for Voter ID and lowering the voting age to 16.”

 

The amendments in the name of Councillor Cohen and Councillor Golton were declared lost the amendment in the name of Councillor Lewis carried and upon being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED – That this Council recognises the frustration of people not represented through the electoral process and notes that changes to voting systems is a national government question to answer. Council further notes that there are strong views on all sides of the debate on electoral reform.

 

“Council is very concerned by the Conservative Government’s Elections Act 2022 which risks suppressing voter turnout by introducing Voter ID, meaning many Leeds residents may no longer be able to vote, including some older and disabled people.

 

Council supports the lowering of the voting age to 16 to increase engagement in the electoral process and opposes the Government’s decision to limit engagement though Voter ID.

 

Council calls on the Government to implement measures to increase voter turnout by withdrawing the requirement for Voter ID and lowering the voting age to 16.