Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has called on the incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to implement a system of proportional representation (PR) before the United Kingdom's next general election. Davey stated that his party is prepared to collaborate with Burnham on electoral reform, emphasizing that if Burnham is "serious about changing the way we do politics," his door remains open.
Davey cautioned that delaying changes to the voting system until after the next election could be "too late." He urged the new prime minister to "be brave" in fulfilling promises to reform the political landscape.
Burnham, who is expected to be confirmed as Labour leader and prime minister imminently, has previously expressed support for PR. Last year, he stated, "There is nothing more unstoppable than an idea whose time has come, and PR's time has come." However, in recent remarks, Burnham suggested a more gradual approach, indicating he would not immediately change the voting system upon becoming prime minister. During a Reddit forum last week, he mentioned his intention to "seek to persuade my own party" to include a commitment to electoral reform in Labour's next manifesto, noting his belief that such reform would foster a more collaborative political environment focused on problem-solving rather than point-scoring.
The UK currently employs a mix of electoral systems. The first-past-the-post (FPTP) system remains in use for electing members to the Westminster Parliament and for local authorities in England and Wales.