Over 100 MPs sign amendment calling for electoral reform
The government is coming under increasing pressure as MPs from across Parliament call for a review of Westminster’s First Past the Post voting system.
Over 100 MPs have now signed an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill calling for a National Commission on Electoral Reform.
Tabled by Chair of the APPG for Fair Elections Alex Sobel MP, the amendment now has more signatories than any amendment of its kind to a bill this parliament.
Speaking on PoliticsHome’s The Rundown podcast, Sobel said “We've got two-thirds of seats, the Labour Party, on a third of the vote... if you look at recent council elections, Reform won two-thirds of the seats on a third of the vote in more than one local authority. So the system is shattered. It's a 19th century voting system in a 21st century political reality, and the two things need to come to a head.”
This amendment follows a set of elections widely hailed by experts as representing the end of Britain’s traditional two-party system.
Reacting to May’s election results Luke Tryl, More In Common, said “Our politics has become way more fragmented… I can pronounce death for the two-party system”. This follows a February letter, signed by 50 leading academics, warning the Government that in a multi-party age First Past the Post is “creating new risks for Britain”.
In his post-elections analysis, Sir John Curtice said the results “raise questions about whether first-past-the-post will continue to benefit the Conservatives and Labour in future. Rather, they have shown that the system is colour blind in how it operates”.
Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, said “These elections have provided further evidence that the fracturing of British politics is not a temporary aberration – as the Conservative and Labour parties appear to have been hoping – but a phenomenon which is here to stay… This could raise the public salience of long-standing calls for electoral reform in a way not previously seen in the UK.”
Three key factors have shifted the debate on electoral reform in recent years:
Public support: 53% of the public now support Proportional Representation, up from 27% in 2011. This includes a plurality of voters for all major parties, including Reform UK and the Conservatives. BSA 2026.
Political support: A voted in favour of PR passed in Parliament for the first time ever in December 2024. Hansard
Electoral fragmentation: Following May’s elections, Sir John Curtice projects five parties to win over 15% of the vote nationally, creating the prospect of seats and future general elections being won on 30% of the popular vote or less. BBC May 2026
A full list of signatories so far is below:
Total: 103 Signatories - 73 Labour, 24 Liberal Democrat, 5 Green, 1 Alliance
Alex Sobel
Beccy Cooper
Chris Curtis
Florence Eshalomi
Helen Hayes
Ruth Cadbury
Abtisam Mohamed
Alison Hume
Allison Gardner
Andrew Cooper
Andrew Ranger
Andy MacNae
Anna Dixon
Bambos Charalambous
Cat Eccles
Cat Smith
Chris Bloore
Chris Hinchliff
Clive Lewis
Connor Naismith
Darren Paffey
Debbie Abrahams
Emily Darlington
Euan Stainbank
Fleur Anderson
Florence Eshalomi
Fred Thomas
Grahame Morris
James Naish
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter
Jess Asato
Jim Dickson
Jo Platt
John McDonnell
Jon Trickett
Josh Dean
Julia Buckley
Kevin McKenna
Lee Barron
Lee Pitcher
Lizzi Collinge
Lorraine Beavers
Luke Akehurst
Luke Myer
Marsha de Cordova
Matt Turmaine
Michelle Welsh
Mike Reader
Mohammad Yasin
Nadia Whittome
Noah Law
Olivia Blake
Patrick Hurley
Paul Davies
Perran Moon
Peter Dowd
Peter Prinsley
Rachael Maskell
Richard Baker
Richard Quigley
Rupa Huq
Ruth Jones
Samantha Niblett
Sarah Hall
Scott Arthur
Simon Opher
Stella Creasy
Steve Race
Steve Witherden
Tom Collins
Tony Vaughan
Valerie Vaz
Will Stone
Yuan Yang
Andrew George
Anna Sabine
Cameron Thomas
Chris Coghlan
Christine Jardine
Danny Chambers
Edward Morello
Freddie Van Mierlo
Helen Maguire
James MacCleary
Layla Moran
Lisa Smart
Liz Jarvis
Manuela Perteghella
Martin Wrigley
Olly Glover
Richard Foord
Roz Savage
Steve Darling
Tom Gordon
Tom Morrison
Vikki Slade
Wendy Chamberlain
Will Forster
Sorcha Eastwood
Adrian Ramsay
Carla Denyer
Ellie Chowns
Hannah Spencer
Siân Berry