End one party states: Councils in England and Wales should match how we vote

Local councils are supposed to represent their local area. But often the make up of English and Welsh councils bears little resemblance to how we voted. Parties can win more votes and end up with fewer seats or win a majority even though most people didn't vote for them. Local elections are broken, with the current political system totally failing to represent the public. It doesn't have to be like this.

Sign the Petition

*Mandatory fields

Privacy

Petition Text

Northern Ireland has used a fair and proportional system for local elections for decades – and in 2007 Scotland joined them. Wales has given councils the right to choose. Now it's time England caught up.

It’s time for a proportional system where no one has to ‘hold their nose’ at the ballot box, and where there is healthy competition – rather than a politics of ‘one-party states’ and uncontested fiefdoms.

Britain deserves a democracy where votes aren’t thrown on the electoral scrapheap – but where there is real choice and where our voices are always heard.

Background

Local elections in England use the first past the post system, which means local councils often look nothing like how people vote. Here are just a few of the 2021 results.