Our chance to win Proportional Representation

Thank you to everyone who supported our 2019 Crowdfunder! View our 2020 Crowdfunder here.

*********************************************************************************

***December 2019 Update: Time to step up the campaign!***

Once again we have a government that most people didn't vote for, with the Conservatives winning a majority of seats on less than 44% of the votes.

But take heart. We now have an opportunity to mobilise unprecedented demand for fair votes, so that the only alternative to the current government is one that will change the voting system. 

To find out what we have planned and how we're going to do this, view our latest project update. 

Please share this page with family, friends or even like-minded work colleagues by sharing this Crowdfunder on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and by email.

And if you’re able to, please give whatever you can afford to help us change the voting system and win real democracy in the UK.

Thank you so much for your support! Together we can finally win equal votes...

*********************************************************************************

We need Proportional Representation!

Our First Past the Post voting system has never looked so broken. Millions of us are denied a voice in politics, millions more are forced to vote tactically, and Parliament doesn’t even come close to reflecting the people.

But now, First Past the Post can’t even deliver its alleged benefits. “Strong” majority governments are a distant memory. Far from shutting out extremism, the system threatens to hand power to the most uncompromising voices. Our governments cannot govern, our legislators cannot legislate, and political debate has spiralled down to the gutter.

We can't fix British politics without Proportional Representation: so Parliament reflects the people and all votes count equally. Only then can we begin to build a modern democracy in which all voices are heard and the majority - not a minority - have the final say.

Make Votes Matter: the movement for PR

Make Votes Matter is the movement for Proportional Representation. We’ve been working flat out to make sure the conditions are in place to bring in PR the next time a general election comes around.

That election looks set to come early. But thanks to the tireless work of hundreds of volunteers, thousands of supporters, and a small but very energetic staff team, we’ve created a real possibility of PR in years, not decades. Members of the team explain...

A historic cross-party consensus on PR

Klina Jordan leads MVM’s Alliance-building

This year, we’ve announced the historic Good Systems Agreement: a common platform about the principles a new voting system must deliver and how to choose one. The agreement is signed by parties and politicians from across the divide, including the Brexit Party, Green Party, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, the SNP and Women’s Equality Party, as well as Labour, Conservative and Independent MPs and numerous organisations and public figures.

If any combination of these parties and individuals now end up winning office or holding the balance of power, there’s a shared position on Proportional Representation and this new consensus about how to get it. This is a foundation on which the Make Votes Matter Alliance stands as it fights for real democracy.

Huge support for PR in the Labour Party

Joe Sousek oversees our work with Labour and trade unions

Even in these uncertain times, it’s likely one of the two biggest parties will need to be involved in any legislation to change the voting system. We’ve won over new support from a few Conservative MPs, but most of these efforts have necessarily been focused on the Labour Party.

Working with the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform we’ve mobilised unprecedented support for PR in Labour. Thanks to our work, 77 local Labour Parties have officially called for electoral reform, and counting. A third of Labour MPs and two affiliated trade unions now support PR. Even unions that previously supported First Past the Post are under pressure to change their policy. This support is grounded in our research showing that equal societies cannot be built without equal votes - including our brand new report Peterloo 200: the path to PR. The next general election will now see huge pressure on Labour from within - as well as from other parties - to promise action on electoral reform.

An inspiring grassroots movement

Emma Knaggs coordinates grassroots action for PR

All of this is only possible because of the hard work of volunteers across the United Kingdom. For the first time, the UK has a determined, energetic and unified movement of ordinary people taking action to win fair votes - week in, week out, for as long as it takes. MPs can no longer claim they never hear from their constituents about PR - because people are pressuring their representatives everywhere. No one can any longer say PR is an issue that only political anoraks care about - because activists are out engaging with their communities from Cardiff to Aberdeen and from Belfast to Hastings.

The media is taking notice: from flagship news programmes to local coverage across the nations and regions, all on the back of constant efforts by the grassroots movement. Through thick and thin, we’re going to keep campaigning and growing until the UK has a Parliament that reflects the people.

The opportunity

Whether a general election comes later this year or not until 2022, we’re going to keep building pressure for electoral reform.

We need to deeply embed the Good Systems Agreement into parties' programmes. We need to enable overwhelming demand for PR from within the Labour Party. And we need to constantly grow the size and impact of the grassroots movement.

If we do all these things, the right conditions will be in place to make the next general election the last to be held under First Past the Post.

When the election comes, it will be time to mobilise like never before: making PR an issue that everyone's talking about, turning up the heat on parties, and piling pressure on MPs and candidates. If pro-PR parties win a majority or end up holding the balance of power, the campaign can enter its crucial final stage: holding them to their promises at all costs. And if not, the work continues - until we win.

Our target

We’re aiming to raise £50,000 to support the campaign’s crucial work up to and throughout the general election period - and in the critical days, weeks and months that follow.

As a volunteer-based campaign on a tight budget, we place huge value on every penny we receive. Our committed staff team earn a real Living Wage, but accept far below market rates to make our funding go as far as possible.

How your donation could help

• One general election PR activist pack, including postage - £10
• Printing 2,000 campaign leaflets - £20
• Setting up a local campaign group - £50
• Printing 100 copies of a new report packed with PR facts - £100
• Booking a venue for a Make Votes Matter hustings - £200
• Holding a workshop to train up activist organisers - £500
• Delivering a high profile party conference fringe event - £600
• Convening a post-election Alliance Building Conference - £1,500
• One highly-skilled campaigner, for one month - £1,733
• Permissions, insurance and equipment for a major lobby and demo - £3,000

Please give what you can to help us win real democracy in the UK!

Other ways to help

Whether you feel you can make a donation or not, you can still play a crucial role in the campaign by taking action right now:

• Join the movement to keep up to date and find out how you can get involved.
• Volunteer your time, skills and enthusiasm to help run the national campaign.
• Find and join your local campaign group, or let us help you start your own.
• If you’re a member of the Labour Party or affiliated trade union, put a motion forward to your local branch.
• Become an MVM Alliance Ambassador by emailing [email protected].

For more information about how the campaign has progressed and the successes we've had, check out our blog and our newly publicly available campaign updates.

Thank you for all your support!