NATIONAL COMMISSION ON ELECTORAL REFORM
The fair, independent way to decide how we vote.
An independent National Commission on Electoral Reform is the fairest way to assess whether our current voting system is still fit for purpose and, if not, what should replace it.
The National Commission on Electoral Reform would be an independent, time-limited body established by Parliament.
Its purpose is simple: to answer a question the UK hasn't properly asked in a generation.
Does our current voting system still fairly reflect how people vote - and if not, what system would best meet the needs of modern UK?
This isn't a campaign group and it isn't a political party.
It's an independent, evidence-led process with voters at the centre, designed to help Parliament make one of the biggest decisions any democracy can face.
What the Commission would answer
The Commission’s job isn’t to start with a conclusion – it’s to follow the evidence. It would answer four core questions, examined honestly and in order.
1
What should a fair voting system actually deliver?
2
How well does the current voting system perform?
3
What alternatives exist and do these better meet our needs?
4
Which system would best meet the needs of modern Britain?
A decision as important as how we vote should not be shaped by the loudest voices alone. The Commission is designed to ensure all viewpoints gets a fair hearing.
Citizens at the centre
A representative group of voters would be given the time, information and support needed to hear evidence, weigh different perspectives and consider the trade-offs involved.
Expert input
Independent academics and practitioners would provide impartial analysis on electoral systems, democratic representation and the practical implications of reform.
Independent process
Overseen by independent commissioners, its job would be to assess the evidence, ensure different viewpoints are properly considered and make recommendations based on what they have heard.
Open and trusted
The Commission would engage openly with the public, campaign groups, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, ensuring that people across Britain have the opportunity to contribute.
The National Commission is about how Britain makes this decision, not what that decision should be.
You do not have to support any particular voting system to support a National Commission.
You simply have to believe that a decision as important as how Britain elects its MPs deserves a fair, independent and evidence-led process.
The Commission is designed to be focused and time-limited.
Its would deliver its recommendations to Parliament within 12 months of launch.
This is not a decades-long review.
It is a practical process designed to answer a specific question and provide Parliament with the evidence to make a legitimate decision that commands public confidence.
The next election may still feel a long way off, but the rules it will be fought under are being shaped today.
If we want a fair and informed debate about how Britain votes, the time to begin is now.
The Representation of the People Bill currently before Parliament provides a significant opportunity to establish the National Commission.
An amendment to the Bill could create the Commission and allow its work to begin immediately.
If we act now, Parliament can have the evidence, public input and democratic legitimacy it needs to make informed decisions about the future of our electoral system.
Across the country, more and more people are calling for a fairer way to vote.
Support for the Commission is growing in Parliament too.
More MPs are recognising that an issue as fundamental as how we elect our representatives deserves an independent, evidence-led process that the public can trust.
To make this happen, we need to make it impossible to ignore.
Here's how you can help today.
