Make Votes Matter

"All we're doing is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic whilst ignoring the huge iceberg that's actually causing it to sink." 🚢 British politics is broken. It's been broken for a long time. Just replacing this or that politician won't fix it. It's time for system change.

📺 WATCH: Today at #PMQs @ollyglover.bsky.social asked Keir Starmer about the UK's broken voting system. "Does the Prime Minister still have full confidence in the First Past the Post system to deliver strong and stable government?" "Yes I do," responded our 6th Prime Minister in 10 years 👀

"In Twickenham and Richmond Park, we now have every single councillor, but we don't have every single vote. We'd welcome electoral reform in our councils, where we are overrepresented." Lib Dem leader @eddavey.libdems.org.uk calls for a fair voting system in his response to the King's Speech:

🎙️Our CEO Emma Harrison was on the Shelagh Fogarty show on LBC, discussing some of the results we've seen today: "If Labour were really bold, they'd think about democratic renewal and say, let's talk about changing our voting system."

"We're in a different era. The era of two-party politics has gone," said Kemi Badenoch on Sky News last night. The conclusion should be obvious. We can no longer operate under a voting system that pretends there's only two choices. It's time for all parties - including the Tories - to back PR.

🎥 NEW INTERVIEW 🎥 "We can't combat climate breakdown without a more effective democracy." @georgemonbiot.bsky.social spoke to Young MVM volunteer Hugo Harvey about how our dysfunctional voting system leads to a toxic political culture and undermines climate action. Watch here 👇

🚨"We do risk having an election next time round that is simply indefensible." The flaws of FPTP are becoming impossible to ignore. @profsob.bsky.social & @alanrenwick.bsky.social give evidence to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee as part of its modernising elections inquiry 👇

📣 BREAKING: Lord Neil Kinnock calls for Proportional Representation! The former Labour leader joins a growing number of voices pushing for voting system change. A consensus is building: FPTP must go. Watch a clip from his interview with @emmaburnell.bsky.social for LabourList and the Fabians👇

During the Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill, MP after MP got up to point out what's missing from it: fixing the voting system. The problems with FPTP can no longer be ignored - and neither can the growing calls for PR. 📣 Here are just a few highlights:

Today is the Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill. It's an important bill - it's just a shame it does nothing to change the voting system that leaves millions of people without representation 👀 We went to Westminster to speak to MPs about this. Our CEO Emma Harrison explains 👇

"Make votes matter," said Westminster's newest MP Hannah Spencer at our Manchester rally last year. "Our vote is a right and our vote should count!" Regardless of who you backed in this race, this is a message we can all unite around 🫱🏽‍🫲🏻

The era of two-party politics is over. Under First Past the Post, this means: ❌ MPs most constituents didn't vote for ❌ Single-party governments that most of the country never wanted @appgfairelections.bsky.social Chair @alexsobel.co.uk is right: this is not a way to run a democracy.

"We need a new settlement between the British people and Westminster." @billybragg.bsky.social is on point here 💯🔥 Fixing the deep crises that our country is facing starts with giving people agency - a system where their voices are truly heard. It's called Proportional Representation.

Disinformation thrives when trust in politics is undermined. Our voting system leaves millions of people without a voice, eroding trust in our democracy. Thank you to @appgfairelections.bsky.social Chair @alexsobel.co.uk for making this important point in Parliament.

"We need to face the fact that the threats to public trust in our democracy... also relate to the structural weaknesses in the way we do politics in this country." Thank you @elliechowns.bsky.social for making the case for fair votes. The Elections Bill must include Proportional Representation.

What do #TraitorsUK and UK politics have in common? 👀 More than you might think... Democracy shouldn't be a game. Share if you agree 👇 #Traitors #TheTraitorsUK

No wonder we keep getting governments that most of the public want gone. "Only a fifth of the eligible electorate actually voted for the current majority government." Under First Past the Post, that's enough for a "landslide". @robfordmancs.bsky.social for @ukandeu.bsky.social 👇

"PR puts the power in the hands of voters rather than in the hands of politicians." Such an important point by @appgfairelections.bsky.social Vice Chair @lisasmartmp.bsky.social. Under FPTP, big decisions are made within the large parties. Under PR, voters have real choice.

"Evidence shows that PR leads to higher turnout, more representative governments and more stable policymaking." Yesterday in Parliament, several MPs raised the urgent need to fix our voting system. Thank you @drscottarthurmp.bsky.social @ollyglover.bsky.social @lisasmartmp.bsky.social 👏👏👏

And it's Day 12 of 12 Days of Democracy 🎄⭐️🧑🏼‍🎄 Here's yet another reason to support PR - and a Christmas message from our CEO Emma Harrison. However you're spending the coming days, we wish a very happy festive season to all our activists and supporters ✨

✨ It's day 11 of 12 Days of Democracy ✨ Today, our Digital Campaigner @anaopp.bsky.social reveals our 11th reason to support PR: gender equality. Read this blog by our volunteer Marli to learn more about how the two are connected: makevotesmatter.org.uk/grassroots-c...

🎁 We're on Day 10 of 12 Days of Democracy 🎁 Today it's Peter Rugman's turn to open a democratic gift box and reveal another good reason to change the voting system. Let's talk about... Chaos 🤯

🎄And we're now on Day 9 of 12 Days of Democracy! Today's Santa - @femi-oluwole.bsky.social - will reveal another reason why we need a fair voting system in 2026. Let's talk about... Hope. ⭐️

✉️ 100+ activists wrote personal Christmas cards to the Democracy Minister @samanthadixonmp.bsky.social, asking her to support a fairer voting system. So we went to her office in Chester to deliver them. Watch the video to hear some of the messages we sent + see thread for press coverage! 👇🧵

⭐️ On Day 8 of 12 Days of Democracy, The Molotovs singer Issey Carts reveals another reason to demand a more democratic voting system. "So many perspectives don't get a hearing in Westminster. There's more to politics than binary choices and people are increasingly realising that."

"Some seats around the country haven't changed hands in over 100 years." On Day 7 of 12 Days of Democracy, councillor @carlcashman.bsky.social reveals one of his reasons to support the campaign for Proportional Representation. ...and what are your reasons? ✨

🎄 We're on Day 6 of 12 Days of Democracy 🎄 Today Croydon councillor Ria Patel opens a gift and reveals another reason to support a fairer voting system. PR isn't radical. It's tried and tested. Watch to learn more!

Today in Parliament @drscottarthurmp.bsky.social shared his experience of visiting high schools in his constituency. One of the most common questions he gets is about changing the voting system. The Elections Bill will be an opportunity to listen to these young people and make their votes count

❄️ It's Day 5 of 12 Days of Democracy ❄️ Today, actor Jason Flemyng reveals one of his reasons for supporting a proportional voting system. "Last year, 4 out of 10 people didn't vote. Why? Well, maybe they felt ignored by the system..." We all deserve a vote that counts ✨

✨It's Day 4 of 12 Days of Democracy ✨ Today, Peter Tatchell opens a box and reveals another reason to support Proportional Representation: it can protect our democracy from extremism. "Our rights and freedoms are too precious..." 👇

🎁 12 Days of Democracy: Day 3 🎁 Today's present will be opened by... @nadiawhittomemp.bsky.social! Let's see what's inside 👇

🎄 It's day 2 of our 12 Days of Democracy 🎄 Every day, we open a present and reveal one reason to support a fairer voting system. Today is @zoejardiniere.bsky.social's turn...

🎁 Today is Day 1 of 12 Days of Democracy 🎁 Every day, we will be opening a present and revealing one good reason to support a fairer voting system. Let's see what we've got today - and stay tuned for more!

First Past the Post keeps promising stability and delivering chaos. Governments are elected on a minority of the vote. They impose their agenda without listening to or negotiating with anyone. They fail and collapse. Rinse and repeat. There is a better way. It's time for PR.

"Is it not time that we had a proper consideration in this House of changes to the voting system, so that the next election is not a disaster for democracy?" Great question by @maxwilkinson.bsky.social The Government must wake up and get to grips with First Past the Post before it’s too late.

"The electoral system is at breaking point." - argued @alexsobel.co.uk, Chair of @appgfairelections.bsky.social, on @iaindale.bsky.social show. In our multi-party era, increasingly unrepresentative election results risk undermining trust in our very democracy. We need PR more than ever.

“If you had electoral reform... people could feel confident that, wherever they are, they could vote in a way that makes sense.” In a recent episode of @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social @dmk1793.bsky.social discusses the problems with FPTP and alternatives to it. 🎧LISTEN open.spotify.com/episode/37ZJ...

"I wonder how many people are prepared to play by the system in the future, when you take into account that (...) 1 in 5 of the nation actually voted for the government." It was great to speak to Nigel Evans about why he changed his mind about electoral reform, and how FPTP undermines trust.

"We have a five- or six-party-system trapped in the body of a two-party electoral system." @timbale.bsky.social explains why multi-party politics is here to stay 👇 Voters want real choice. We need a proportional voting system that makes it possible.

WATCH @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social @rory-stewart.bsky.social discuss the absurdity of our voting system. FPTP silences smaller parties while giving full power to the biggest one -even if it only wins 1/3 of the vote. Last time it was Labour, next it could be Reform. Whoever wins, the voter loses

"When we're working best as the Assembly, it's when we work together cross-party." At our event with the London Assembly yesterday, @carolinerussell.bsky.social shared her experience of working across political divides under a proportional system. Watch in full: www.youtube.com/live/BDnIo7W...

"I'd love to throw it in the bin." At #LabourConference2025, Livvy from Young Make Votes Matter asked Labour members about their opinions on the First Past the Post voting system. Here's what they had to say 👇

"As Reform climb in the opinion polls, it is evident that they, like the Labour Party, could win on 34% of the vote," warns our CEO Emma Harrison at the @labour4pr.bsky.social rally. Or less - recent polls show them winning on as little as 25% of the vote. We have no time to waste. We need PR now.

"Keir Starmer said that the sky didn't fall in when we introduced votes at 16 in Wales and Scotland. And I say to you, Sir Keir, that when you introduced PR, the sky didn't fall in there either." Our CEO Emma Harrison speaking at @labour4pr.bsky.social rally at #LabourConference2025 💯🔥

Highlights from the Westminster debate on #DemocracyDay👇 Thank you @rachelblakemp.bsky.social for securing this important debate, and to @richardfoordld.bsky.social @lizzicollinge.bsky.social @jamesmaccleary.bsky.social for making the case for electoral reform.