Priti Patel warned not to ‘attack democracy’ by changing mayoral voting system

The home secretary’s proposals could make it easier for the Tories to win mayoral elections in places like London, critics say
First Past The Post voting often leads to victories for those who don’t win majorities
PA Wire

Priti Patel has been accused of launching an “attack on democracy” as she presses ahead with plans to impose a “past-its-sell-by-date” voting system on the electorate.

The proposals, which were announced by the home secretary in March, would see the First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system used for mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections.

Following last week’s election results, which saw Labour win 11 of the 13 mayoral votes, critics have said it is a move intended to make it easier for the Conservatives to win.

Under FPTP, which Ms Patel claims would bring “strong and clear local accountability”, candidates are often elected or re-elected with a minority of votes.

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse said: “This back-door move by the home secretary to change the current mayoral and police and crime commissioner voting system to the past-its-sell-by-date FPTP system is an attack on our democracy.

“Powers over policing and crime in our local communities could be handed to people voted for by very small numbers of the electorate.”

It comes as grassroots campaigners Make Votes Matter saw its petition to stop the government’s plans for more FPTP elections reached 13,000 signatures.

“This would be a backward step for our democracy and leave millions more voters without a voice in politics, being governed by officials they simply didn't vote for,” said Emma Knaggs, from the campaign.

“We need less First Past The Post in the UK, not more.”

The London Assembly election also uses FPTP in its constituency member voting. Last week, no candidates from smaller parties were able to break the Conservative and Labour stranglehold on seats.

In the South West constituency, the Tory candidate was elected with less than a third of the popular vote, while the 65 per cent of people who backed left-leaning candidates received no representation.

However, in the additional member vote for London-wide seats, which uses the fairer Proportional Representation system, three Greens and two Lib Dems were able win seats at City Hall.

The Green candidate for Mayor of London Siân Berry told the Standard: “Voters are being let down by the unrepresentative First Past The Post system, which forces people to vote for the least bad options, rather than for something they really believe in.”

In Rochdale last week, the Labour party found itself in control of 80 per cent of the local council seats despite receiving less than half of votes cast.

Professor Tony Travers, of the London School of Economics, told The Guardian that the change could open a potential route to victory for the Tories in cities such as London.

He added: “It’s likely that first past the post would make it somewhat easier for the Conservatives to win if they could come up with a really good candidate.”

First Past The Post is used in general elections and throws up disproportionate results which do not reflect how the electorate votes.

For example, at the 2019 election, some 52 per cent voted for parties supporting a second referendum on leaving the European Union but FPTP delivered a Tory majority and, subsequently, Brexit.

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