Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a major overhaul of the UK’s voting system, pledging that the Labour Party will contest the next general election with a manifesto commitment to replace First Past the Post.
Speaking at the party’s conference in Liverpool on 29 September 2026, the Prime Minister confirmed the establishment of a National Commission on Electoral Reform to determine the future of British democracy.
The announcement comes just 10 weeks after Mr Burnham took office. During his keynote speech, he described the current electoral system as “bust,” citing the results of the 2024 general election as a primary driver for change. In that election, Labour secured 63 per cent of the seats in Parliament despite receiving only 34 per cent of the national vote.
Mr Burnham also highlighted the recent instability in British politics, noting that he is the seventh Prime Minister to hold the office in just 10 years. He argued that this turnover, combined with the “mismatch” between votes cast and seats won, necessitates a fundamental shift in how the country chooses its representatives.
A National Commission on Electoral Reform
The newly formed National Commission on Electoral Reform is intended to be a broad-based body. The Prime Minister has invited all political parties, trade unions, businesses, faith groups, and community organisations to participate in the process.
The commission is tasked with reporting its findings before the next general election. While the government has not yet specified which form of proportional representation (PR) it prefers, a spokesman for the Prime Minister clarified that any proposed system must maintain the “constituency link”—the direct relationship between an MP and a specific geographic area.
“The constituency link must remain a critical part of any new voting system,” the spokesman said, indicating that this remains a non-negotiable priority for the government during the consultation process.
Details of the announcement were shared by The Labour Party, which outlined the Prime Minister’s vision for a system that more accurately reflects the public’s will.
No change in current parliament
Voters will not see a change to the voting system during the current parliamentary term. Instead, the government intends to use the commission’s findings to form a central pillar of its next election campaign.
By making the reform a manifesto commitment, the government aims to seek a direct mandate from the electorate for constitutional change. This approach appears designed to avoid the immediate controversies of legislative change without a specific election win focused on the issue.
Opposition parties have been invited to join the commission, though formal responses to the invitation are expected in the coming days. The commission’s work will represent one of the most significant reviews of the UK’s constitutional arrangements since the referendum on the Alternative Vote system in 2011.
