PETITIONClosedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Referendum on changing the Electoral System To Proportional Representation (PR)
We are petitioning for a National Referendum to decide whether the current electoral system should be RETAINED or REPLACED by a system where the number of MPs each party gets reflects the proportion of votes received nation-wide. Commonly known as “Proportional Representation” or “PR”.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
42,329
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 10,000/10,000 · reached
Debate threshold (100,000) · 42,329/100,000
Background
A YouGov poll in January 2024 found that only 26% of people preferred the current FPTP system with 45% preferring PR so we think there is clearly a need for a re-evaluation of our electoral system.
In the latest 2024 General Election the biggest gap on record has emerged between the share of the vote won nationally by parties and the number of seats they have.
We believe most democratic way to decide this matter would be via a National Referendum on Electoral Reform.
Government response06 Dec 2024
The Government has no plans to change the voting system for UK Parliamentary elections.
The United Kingdom has a robust electoral system which sits at the heart of our democracy.
The Government has no plans to change the voting system for UK Parliamentary elections.
The Government believes that the First Past The Post system, whilst not perfect, provides for a direct relationship between the member of the legislature and the local constituency.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government