Make Votes Matter www.makevotesmatter.org.uk Contact: Joe Sousek John Penrose E: [email protected] Minister for Constitutional Reform T: 07402 965566 House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Copied to: David Cameron Prime Minister 20 June 2016 Dear Mr Penrose, On 2nd March 2016, we wrote to you setting out critical failures of the electoral system used for General Elections and asking you to meet with us. The failures are these: 1. That First Past the Post (FPTP) currently suppresses the democratic right to representation of one quarter of all UK voters (24.4% of voters voted for either the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats, or UKIP, who now share a negligible 1.5% of seats between them) ­ effectively ​ ​ excluding the voices of more than seven million voters not only from government, but from holding government to account. 2. That it makes votes grossly unequal in value. One party needed just over 23,000 votes to win a single seat last year while another needed almost four million. This means that votes cast by some people had more than one hundred and sixty eight times greater value than votes cast by others. 3. That it distorts the electorate’s express wishes. 63% of people who voted rejected the present government’s manifesto, yet it now has a majority of parliamentary seats and the power to impose whatever policies it wishes. It is astonishing that you did not acknowledge any of these points in your reply. You are the Minister responsible for electoral policy and democratic engagement. Facts have been put before you suggesting (for instance) that the present voting system suppresses the right to parliamentary representation of one in four of all UK voters. If this claim is true it means the UK is failing dramatically in this crucial area ­ an area for which you are personally responsible. If half a million people petitioned the Health Secretary alleging that one quarter of the UK population were being prevented from accessing healthcare services, it is clear that the Health Secretary would need to respond either by refuting that allegation or by taking urgent action to remedy it. It could not simply be ignored ­ because if it were true it would constitute an indefensible failure of health policy. Yet this is precisely the condition of democracy in the UK ­ with one quarter of all UK voters represented by 1.5% of MPs ­ and unfortunately you have failed to rebut, accept or even acknowledge this fact. Therefore please respond to the following points substantively: 1. We claim that FPTP suppresses the democratic right to representation of one quarter of all UK voters (24.4% of voters voted for either the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats, or UKIP, who now share a negligible 1.5% of seats between them) ­ effectively excluding the voices of more ​ ​ than seven million voters not only from government, but from holding government to account. a) Do you deny this? b) If so, on what basis? c) If not, what are you ­ as the Minister responsible for electoral policy ­ doing to remedy it? 2. We claim that the present electoral system makes different people’s votes grossly unequal in value. One party needed just over 23,000 votes to win a single seat last year while another needed almost four million. This means that votes cast by some people had more than one hundred and sixty eight times greater value than votes cast by others. a) Do you deny this? b) If so, on what basis? c) If not, what are you ­ as the Minister responsible for electoral policy ­ doing to remedy it? 3. We claim that the present electoral system distorts the electorate’s express wishes. 63% of people who voted rejected the present government’s manifesto, yet it now has a majority of parliamentary seats and the power to impose whatever policies it wishes. a) Do you deny this? b) If so, on what basis? c) If not, what are you ­ as the Minister responsible for electoral policy ­ doing to remedy it? We would ask that you kindly focus your response to this letter on the three substantive issues above. However, for completeness, we note the argument put forward in your previous letter: “...there had been a referendum on changing the voting system from First Past the Post which the electorate clearly rejected. The proposal of holding a further referendum, on an even bigger change to our electoral system than AV, would therefore be hard to justify” But: ● We did not ask you for a further referendum ­ we asked you to meet with representatives of the movement for a fair democracy to discuss how we may, together, find a way forward. ● Notwithstanding this, it clearly does not follow that the rejection of the Alternative Vote by referendum is evidence that electorate wants FPTP or that the electorate does not want PR. AV is not PR; the electorate have never been offered PR. ● Indeed, the fact that turnout for the referendum was just 42.2% is compelling evidence that few people wanted either of the two disproportionate systems that were offered. ● On the other hand, literally all available evidence1 strongly suggests that PR has overwhelming ​ ​ support. Going back as far as 1970, every single opinion poll on the issue we are aware of has found PR to have greater support than FPTP. ● Regardless of all of the preceding points, our democracy has significantly deteriorated since 2011 ­ with more votes wasted and more voters excluded from representation than ever before following the most disproportionate election in British history. Taken alone this justifies an urgent review of our democratic system. We ask you again to meet with us and we hope to understand your view of these serious matters soon. Yours faithfully, Make Votes Matter 1 www.makevotesmatter.org.uk/public­on­reform/ A Abulula Dennis Young Joy Hand Peter Aviss A Creswell Dennis A Stepan Joy Hodgkinson Peter Aylett A Deghen Deolinda Eltringham Joy Irving Peter Barton A Dodd Derek Allan Joy Lakin Peter Bass A Francis Derek Baskett Joy Lloyd PETER BEDDIS A Howard Derek Beasley Joy Piper Peter Bell A Nightingale Derek Bodey Joya Newcombe Peter Blacklock A Parfitt Derek Bullock Joyce Barkla Peter Bland A Parr DEREK BYRNE Joyce Clavering Peter Bond A. James Marshall Derek Chandler joyce deeley Peter Booth A. Cantrill Derek Couzens Joyce Donoghue Peter Bostock A.J. Mitchell Derek Crossingham Joyce Edmond-Smith Peter Bright Aaron Bennett derek downton joyce ptaszek Peter Brimson Aaron Payne Derek Farnfield Joyce Roper Peter Brook Aaron Payne derek farrell Joyce Ross Peter Brooks Abanoub Iskander Derek Fox Joyce Taylor Peter Brown Abi Jarvis Derek Gardham Jude BaileyMurfin Peter Browning Abi McGough Derek Glenn Jude Binks Peter Brunt Abidha Rahman Derek Hill Jude Connelly Peter Bull Abigail Brooks Derek Hircock Jude Jones Peter Bunyan Achsa Griffiths Derek Hodgson Jude Latta Peter Burrows Adam Baker Derek Hudson Judith Ballard Peter Burrows Adam Belchamber derek humber Judith Blaker Peter Burtt-Jones Adam Bowers Derek Jeal judith burrows peter cairns Adam Colclough Derek Knight Judith Cable Peter Calpa-Fleming Adam Coulson DEREK LARGE Judith Cooper Peter Campbell Adam Dadeby Derek Legg Judith Edge Peter Canning Adam Dodd Derek Liddard Judith Forrow Peter Canter Adam Evans Derek MacColl JUDITH HIBLE Peter Carne Adam Eveleigh Derek McCarthy Judith Jardine Peter Chadwick ADAM FARRAR Derek Mcilmail Judith John Peter Challen Adam Fosberry Derek McNeil Judith Marquand Peter Chave Adam Foster Derek Metson Judith Moore peter cherry Adam Fox Derek Moss Judith Powell Peter Chodera Adam Fraser Derek Rogerson Judith Sims Peter Cocker Adam freeman Derek Rowlands Judith Sluglett peter cockersell Adam Grant Derek Tatton Judith Soulsby Peter Coggins Adam Irving Derek Ward Judith Watts Peter Colver-Adams Adam Keenan Derek Williams Judith White Peter Connolly Adam Levick Derek Wood Judy Bridgeman Peter Craven Adam Lloyd Derek Wood Judy Hutchinson Peter Crawley Adam Luff Dermot Hanna Judy Jacob Peter Crook Adam Mannas Derrick Houghton Judy Pope Peter Curtis Adam Morriss Deryck Franklin Judy Rudd Peter Cutter Adam Puplett Des Hogarty JUDY SCOTT Peter Davidson Adam Spiers Des Platt Judy Screeton Peter Davis Adam Sutherland Desi Best Judy Tarbuck Peter Davis Adam Turner Desiree Tait Judy Whitehead Peter Davison Adam Ulivi DESMOND THOMPSON Jules Ross Peter Day Adam Waldock Desmond Van Den Berg Juli Pops Peter Dennington Ade Mauger Di Bignell julia bromley Peter Dewar Adria Merton Diana Arundale Julia Day Peter Dixon Adrian Baker Diana Baur julia dudley PETER Dore Adrian Biggs Diana Cox Julia Erskine Peter Downs Adrian Cowie Diana Davies julia hart Peter Duncan Adrian Devlin Diana Fox Julia Jacob Peter Edwards Adrian Grant Diana Fox Julia Lloyd Peter Evans Adrian Haynes Diana King Julia Lunn Peter Family Brewster Adrian Hickman Diana Knell Julia Moore Peter Flack Adrian Jones Diana Mortimer julia ortmans Peter Francis Adrian Kastelic Diana Stebbings Julia Powell Peter Fraser adrian Lawlor Diana Westerhoff Julia Pritchard Peter Frost adrian lightfoot DIANA WILMS julia Robinson Peter Fuller Adrian North Diana Young Julia Scotland Peter Gale Adrian Parry Diane Cooper Julia Taylor Peter Garbutt Adrian Powell Diane Courtney-Long Julia Winn Peter Garratt Adrian Rochefort Diane Donaghy Julian Alessandrini Peter Geddes Adrian Simpson Diane Gaffney Julian Ashworth Peter Geddes Adrian Smith Diane Holyoak Julian Cooper Peter Goddard Adrian Taylor Diane Hunt Julian Cowley Peter Goodhew Adrian Wilson Diane Jeary Julian Dare peter gore Adrienne Henwood Diane Robinson Julian Eldridge Peter Gosden Adrienne Jeorrett Diane Schlabitz Julian Glover Peter Gray