Our Country Needs Fair Votes Now

Campaigning for fair votes has been part of the Liberal Democrat mission ever since we were founded. Last night, Ed Davey made a speech at the IPPR think tank about why it’s time has come - and how to make it happen.

Between prorogation, Partygate and three Prime Ministers in two months, the Conservatives have done untold damage to our country. There’s both an urgent need to strengthen our democracy - and a real yearning for change.

In his speech, Ed outlined a two-step plan to deliver just that, saying:

“The first step is getting the Conservatives out of Government. Then, we must reform our electoral system to make everyone’s vote count equally.”

“It’s clear that First-Past-the-Post distorts democracy. It has allowed the Conservative Party to cling to power - despite a majority of the British people voting against them at every election. Leaving them free to change Prime Minister as many times as they like, without a shred of accountability. I don’t need to tell you how damaging that has been for our country and our democracy.”

“But we have a real opportunity right now. For the first time ever, a majority of the British public now supports electoral reform. People know it’s the only way to bring about the change we so desperately need.”

“Electoral reform can put an end to safe seats, once and for all. It can force MPs to listen to their constituents, make them accountable, and make everyone’s vote powerful.”

“If you give people more power, you get better outcomes. As academic studies have shown time and again, stronger democracy is good for the economy, social justice and the environment. With PR, you’re more likely to get better schools, more funding for the health service, more affordable housing, safer communities, and a cleaner, healthier natural environment. So what are we waiting for?”

“Every vote for the Liberal Democrats at the next election will be a vote for proportional representation. And ONLY a vote for the Liberal Democrats will be a vote for PR.” 

Read Ed Davey's full speech here.