A simple MODEL resolution FOR CLPS AND BRANCHES

[This branch/CLP/organisation]

• Calls upon the Labour Party to reject First Past the Post, the voting system currently used for General Elections, and to support the introduction of a voting system in which all votes count and in which seats are allocated broadly in line with the votes cast.
• Calls upon the Justice and Home Affairs Policy Commission of the National Policy Forum to consult the party membership about their views on the above proposal in the next cycle of policy documents.
• Resolves to affiliate to the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform (LCER).

A more detailed MODEL resolution FOR CLPS AND BRANCHES

[This branch/CLP/organisation]

Notes that under the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system

• The outcome of a general election is in many constituencies a foregone conclusion; many people know their votes will make no difference, and have no incentive to vote at all.
• Many people are forced to vote tactically, for a party they do not support, in the hope of making their vote effective.
  
• The UK is frequently led by right-wing governments elected on a minority of the popular vote, even though larger numbers of people voted for left-of-centre parties.
  

We believe that

• The FPTP voting system is unfit for purpose, stacked against the interests of less affluent people and communities, and urgently in need of reform.
• The movement for voting reform must be led by the Labour Party.

We call upon the Labour Party to enter the next election with a manifesto commitment to a programme of democratic reform which includes a comitment to the introduction of a voting system in which the allocation of seats reflects the votes cast.

We call upon the Justice and Home Affairs Policy Commission of the National Policy Forum to consult Labour's membership on the issue of voting reform, and to bring a policy document on voting reform to the next Labour Party Conference.

We resolve to afflilate to the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform (LCER).

resolution on electoral "deserts"

Resolution to replace the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system in the UK

[This CLP/Conference/etc] notes that most democratic countries across the world do not use the FPTP electoral system, but use systems which ensure that the seats won by each party broadly reflect the distribution of votes cast.

We note that in the UK, tiers of government established over recent decades have not adopted FPTP for their elections: the Scottish, Welsh, Northern Ireland and London assemblies are all conducted under proportional voting systems, as are local elections in Scotland and Wales.

In Westminster, our current voting systems leads to electoral “deserts”. The problem particularly affects Labour voters in  South West, South East and East of England where in 2017 almost a third of votes cast went to Labour, but over 85 per cent of seats were won by  Conservatives.  Millions of Labour voters in these regions do not live within do not live within 50 miles or more of a seat represented by a Labour MP. 

Our current system distorts our politics and representation.  

We call on Labour  to include in its manifesto that we are now open to changing our voting system; to introduce a system under which the seats won by each party broadly match the votes cast, both in aggregate terms and within regions; and which retains the constituency - MP link.

resolution PASSED BY HOUGHTON & SUNDERLAND SOUTH CLP

Houghton & Sunderland South CLP calls upon the Justice and Home Affairs Policy Commission of the National Policy Forum or the relevant body following the Democracy Review to consult the Party membership on a review of electoral voting reform.

RESOLUTION PASSED BY CHICHESTER CLP

resolution PASSED BY EASTLEIGH CLP

Eastleigh CLP calls upon the Labour Party to reject First Past the Post in all national and local elections in favour of a system of Proportional Representation in which all votes count equally and seats match votes. Additionally calls upon the National Policy Forum to consult the party membership about their views on this proposal in the next round of policy documents.

resolution PASSED BY OXFORD DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY

Our archaic electoral system is antidemocratic and not fit for purpose.

We need a properly representative and transparent electoral system where no vote is wasted. We need to change to a form of proportional representation for national elections. This should be one which allows M.P.s to keep their local constituency link. The voting age should be lowered to 16. Voting at weekends and the possibility of electronic voting should be investigated.

This party therefore calls upon the Labour Party to reject First Past the Post, the current voting system for General Elections, and to launch a consultation to choose a new voting system in which seats will broadly reflect the votes cast.

We call on the Labour Party to include proposals for reform in the Party’s manifesto for the next General election, with the declared intent that the new electoral changes will be put in place for the next general election.

MOTION TO LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE SUBMITTED BY GOSPORT CLP AND BATTERSEA CLP

Conference notes: The Leader of the House of Commons is due to present the Boundary Commission's final recommendations for constituency boundaries to Parliament before conference season recess. Analysis by Politics For The Many indicates that these changes embed a profound Conservative bias, such that: Labour would need a lead of 3.9% to become the largest party.

Labour would need a lead of 8.2% to win a majority. The Conservatives would need a lead of 1.6% to win a majority. That such mismatches between votes and seats are a feature of theFirst Past the Post voting system. That most developed countries use some form of Proportional Representation in which seats broadly match votes. Conference recognises: There is significant support for Proportional Representation among voters, the party and affiliated memberships and the PLP. There have been 32 CLP motions passed in the last two years calling for a review of party policy towards electoral reform and for a commitment to Proportional Representation. It is incumbent on a democratic party to respond to this by consulting the membership at large on this issue, to establish whether there is popular support for a commitment to Proportional Representation.

Conference calls: On the National Policy Forum - or the relevant body following the Democracy Review - to consult the party membership to seek their views on whether Labour should introduce a system of Proportional Representation as part of our transformative programme for government.