As we approach the first anniversary of Labour’s loveless landslide general election victory, it is worth taking stock of the current state of British politics.

The Starmer ministry has committed a series of unpopular acts, many of which run contrary to the ethos of the Labour Party as the left-leaning of the two major parties and have proven alienating to some of their key voters. The Conservatives have failed to make any significant recovery in the opinion polls, likely due to ongoing backlash against their disastrous decisions over austerity, Brexit, coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis and the mini-budget. And Reform UK seems on track to form the next government on a lower vote share than Labour won in 2024, with Labour and the Conservatives seemingly aping their anti-migrant, anti-woke policies in a desperate bid to reattract disaffected voters.

Such a picture would surely highlight the need for a more responsive democracy in the UK. Having usually elected a single party to majority government on under half of the national vote, First Past the Post has proven unconducive to delivering such a democracy. With declining support for the two-party status quo, FPTP may serve to elect Parliaments that have little or no bearing on voters’ intentions.

We Liberal Democrats believe that proportional representation can help deliver this more responsive democracy, and it seems that we are the party leading the charge on this issue. Last December, Sarah Olney, our MP for Richmond Park and President of Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform, introduced via a ten-minute rule motion a bill that would replace First Past the Post with PR for UK general elections and English local elections. Having passed by two votes, it highlighted our resolve, Labour’s hesitation and the Conservatives’ steadfast opposition on this issue.

While this was a pleasant surprise for us and other advocates for fairer elections, it likely came as a nasty shock to members of both major beneficiaries of the current system. Despite the possibility that FPTP may help to elect an extremist minor party to government – contrary to the supposed merits of the system – it has served both Labour and the Conservatives well in the past (the latter arguably more so), whether in electing a government or individual MPs. They may be hoping that current trends against them are only temporary reactions and that when push comes to shove, voters will again opt – by and large – for the lesser of two evils come the next general election.

The second reading of the Elections Bill is scheduled to take place on 11 July. As demonstrated during its first reading back in January, Labour and the Conservatives’ defence of FPTP is particularly weak, the best that could be said of it being the constituency link to MPs (which several PR systems including Single Transferable Voting also feature). Given the power that they have garnered through this system, they would not need to present a strong argument if they wish to maintain the status quo. I for one hope that at least one of the major parties will be swayed by the arguments of Ms Olney and others who will be taking to the streets nationwide in early July as part of the Democracy Action Weekend – and making good on their own conference pledges.

We need a truly national debate on how our elected representatives are chosen. It should be held in a forum where the two major parties cannot put their thumbs on the scale and where PR can be given a fair hearing. And it should serve as an opportunity to educate the British public about our elections, not as a vehicle to smear alternatives to the status quo.

With the support of Make Votes Matter, the campaign advocating for fair votes whose Good Systems Agreement our party has signed up to, a Change.org petition has been launched calling for one or all of the major public service broadcasters – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky – to host a televised debate on the Westminster voting system. The broadcasters’ commitment to educate and provide balanced coverage would ensure a fair and balanced discussion of the merits of the current FPTP system and PR in general.

If you wish to sign, share or comment on this petition, you can do so by following this link.

* Samuel James Jackson is the Chair of the Policy Committee of the Yorkshire and the Humber Liberal Democrats and had served as the Liberal Democratic candidate in Halifax during the 2024 general election.