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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Me watching celebrity traitors: obsessed but also railing against the use of First Past the Post to eliminate traitors

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APPG for Fair Elections @appgfairelections.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

We welcome Andy Burnham's announcement of a National Commission on Electoral Reform. Last year we published a proposed Terms of Reference 👇 Our voting system needs an upgrade. It's time for a national conversation about what comes next.

fairelections.org.uk

National Commission on Electoral Reform: Terms of Reference

APPG for Fair Elections

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Unlock Democracy @unlockdemocracy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A year ago this week, Andy Burnham told a Labour Conference event that ‘PR is an idea whose time has come.’ Now, as Prime Minister, he has kickstarted the process to deliver it. A huge moment for everyone who believes in fair votes! Time is running out on First Past the Post.

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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

💥BREAKING: Andy Burnham announces a National Commission on Electoral Reform. This is a historic moment. The era of First Past the Post is coming to an end. It's time to transform politics and make all votes count. It's time for Proportional Representation.

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Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform (LDER) @libdems4er.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Today, Burnham became our 7th PM in 10 years. He says he wants to fix politics. We believe if we are going to fix politics we have to fix the engine that drives it: the voting system. What do you think is needed? Take our survey: digitallibdems.typeform.com/fix-politics

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

I have no issue with people outwith Westminster being appointed ministers, but giving them a job in the UK legislature for life to do so is an absurdity BBC News - Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar set to become a minister in Burnham's government www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar set to become a minister in Burnham's government

It would mean Sarwar leaving the Scottish Parliament and his leader role, then taking up a seat in the House of Lords.

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Liberal Democrats @libdems.org.uk · 14/07/2026

If Andy Burnham is serious about changing the way we do politics, he will start by fixing our broken voting system. Then we can get on with fixing everything else.

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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

📢 The third reading of the Representation of the People Bill has been announced for 14 July! This means we have just under two weeks to convince as many MPs as possible to back the amendment for a review of the UK's broken voting system. Email your MP today: actionnetwork.org/letters/ask-...

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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Whoever replaces Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street needs to hear the message loud and clear: The UK's democracy is in crisis. A fair, proportional voting system isn't a "nice to have". It's a priority and we need it now.

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

It's still not clear what an Andy Burnham premiership will actually look like Momentum is with Burnham and the King of the North will likely be crowned PM within weeks. It's looking less and less likely but a full leadership contest would test his vision, policy plans and ensure accountability

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Labour4PR 🌹🗳️ @labour4pr.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

“Wes Streeting is expected to throw his weight behind electoral reform... [he] has yet to set out his position on overhauling the voting system in the UK, but @theipaper.com understands he is supportive of changing the First Past the Post system” 🌹 #Labour4PR

inews.co.uk

Leadership rivals back revolution in UK voting system

Both Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting are expected to support electoral reform

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Reform really want Andy Burnham to replace Starmer huh

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Upgrade Holyrood @upgradeholyrood.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

"Electoral reform at Westminster is long overdue. It is also time to consider options for Holyrood." 💯

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Coalitions do not "subvert democracy" and are a very normal and healthy part of governing We need PR, but thankfully here First Past the Post failed to deliver an unrepresentative one-party majority Nonsense from Southwark Labour 👇 after Lib Dem - Green deal 🤝 southwarklabour.com/2026/05/lib-...

southwarklabour.com

Lib Dems and Greens “subvert democracy” in new coalition as Southwark Labour warns of instability - Southwark Labour

Cllr Sarah King has warned of the instability that will follow a new agreement between the Southwark Liberal Democrats and the Southwark Green Party. The Liberal Democrats, a fading force in Southwark...

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Upgrade Holyrood @upgradeholyrood.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

The Additional Member System is far fairer than First Past the Post used at Westminster. But its design flaw in favour of FPTP led to Scotland's least proportional Holyrood election in the history of devolution upgradeholyrood.com/2026/05/15/h...

upgradeholyrood.com

Holyrood needs electoral reform: 2026 was Scotland’s least representative election

The Additional Member System did not deliver a proportional outcome as intended.

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Labour4PR 🌹🗳️ @labour4pr.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

💬 “Burnham also repeated his backing for proportional representation in Westminster elections, claiming it helps build a "new politics and a different way of thinking” @andyburnham.bsky.social also told @itvnewspolitics.bsky.social yesterday that this would mean a manifesto commitment to PR

mirror.co.uk

Andy Burnham unveils plans for UK changes to Mirror readers in first interview

Andy Burnham unveiled plans for reindustrialisation, taking stronger public control of essentials, and also called for a council house building programme on a scale not seen since after World War II

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Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco @joshpizpom.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Reform would have one more seat in Edinburgh & the SNP would have one less if AMS worked as intended. @richard-wood.bsky.social says there needs to be a "sensible grown-up conversation" about proportional representation @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2610948...

heraldscotland.com

How 'disproportionate' voting system cost Reform a second Edinburgh MSP

Richard Wood, founder of Upgrade Holyrood, told The Herald that changes are needed to balance Scotland’s “disproportionate” electoral system.

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Last week the SNP only won 38.2% of constituency votes and 27.2% of list votes, yet were rewarded with 58 seats (amounting to 45% of all seats available) This was Scotland's least proportional election 👇 www.libdemvoice.org/scotlands-el...

libdemvoice.org

Scotland’s electoral system has reached breaking point

Our biggest success of the May 2026 elections was undoubtedly in Scotland, where the Scottish Liberal Democrats played a blinder to reverse years of challenging Scottish Parliament elections. The Scot...

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Absurd that in 2026 MSPs have to swear allegiance to the King, not to the people they represent and the parliament they serve in Anyone who doesn't swear allegiance within two months gets thrown out of the Scottish Parliament

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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

"In Twickenham and Richmond Park, we now have every single councillor, but we don't have every single vote. We'd welcome electoral reform in our councils, where we are overrepresented." Lib Dem leader @eddavey.libdems.org.uk calls for a fair voting system in his response to the King's Speech:

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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

The crisis of British democracy has never been more evident than after these local elections. The King's Speech was a missed opportunity to address it. We can't afford another general election under the same broken voting system. We need Proportional Representation now.

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

I remember being in parliament when Johnson and Truss were shown the door. This feels the same There's a good case against Starmer, but this removing the PM once every couple of years isn't healthy for democracy. Westminster political culture is broken SEVEN prime ministers in 10 years is a joke

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

This was the chance for Starmer to announce something bold on Proportional Representation to end First Past the Post. What better time to do this than immediately after yet another massive confirmation that 21st century multiparty politics is not properly represented by our archaic voting system?!

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Upgrade Holyrood @upgradeholyrood.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

This was the least proportional Scottish Parliament election despite AMS. If we keep AMS, at a minimum we must reduce the dominance of First Past the Post seats so seats match votes overall. Lists should also be open so voters can choose individual candidates. Scotland needs electoral reform.

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Labour shouldn't replace First Past the Post with Proportional Representation to stop Reform They should do it because it's the right thing to do The system at Westminster and English locals doesn't reflect the realities of our multi party system Let's make votes matter 💪

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

I'm not an SNP voter but this election shows the importance of their both votes SNP strategy. You must never ever take your constituencies for granted List votes are about to be so crucial in determining whether the SNP win 60 seats, let alone a majority

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

SNP majority now looks impossible

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Reform UK is not a "new political party". That line (excuse) shouldn't have credibility any more. They were founded nearly eight years ago.

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Starmer might cling on for a bit but he's definitely not leading Labour into the 2029 election

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

At least two BBC presenters have said that Wales had a First Past the Post system and that it has been replaced by PR. FPTP was only one part of the old system, yet presenters keeping missing out the list element that led to somewhat proportional chambers on the Senedd

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Upgrade Holyrood @upgradeholyrood.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

A pattern is emerging of the SNP losing votes but holding on to seats. It's looking likely that seats won overall won't match votes cast, putting Scotland on track for its least representative result. The First Past the Post element is skewing the proportionality of Scotland's Parliament 👇

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Unlock Democracy @unlockdemocracy.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

"Electoral chaos agent". "Random number generator". "Slot-machine politics." All describe First Past the Post in a multi-party age, where tiny shifts in votes can yield wildly different results. Voters show no interest in a return to two-party voting. The case for change is clear.

buff.ly

A voting system game of chicken - who will blink first?

Britain is known for keeping calm and carrying on - this shouldn’t apply here. Our electoral system can’t cope with the politics we have. Failure to tackle this risks our democracy and our future.

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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

"Whatever else happens, one thing is certain: electoral politics is about to get messier, again. In England we will witness unprecedented uncertainty as the first-past-the-post system buckles under the strain of party competition." @robfordmancs.bsky.social writes 👇

observer.co.uk

The Greens and Reform will ensure this week’s elections a...

The electoral landscape of Britain is set to change radically on Thursday as voters switch their allegiance to emerging challengers and the traditional parties face humiliation

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Great news about the removal of whisky tariffs But that is hardly a reason to keep a system where our head of state is chosen by an ancient bloodline

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Upgrade Holyrood @upgradeholyrood.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Despite Holyrood's proportional element, First Past the Post risks causing Scotland's most unrepresentative election yet. Here's how 👇 commentcentral.co.uk/first-past-t...

commentcentral.co.uk

First Past the Post is to blame if SNP win unrepresentative majority

The SNP are on track to win an historic fifth term in government in next month's Scottish Parliament election.

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APPG for Fair Elections @appgfairelections.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

⚠️Sir John Curtice says Labour and the Conservatives can no longer rely on First Past the Post Asked by @danbloom1.bsky.social of @politico.com if Westminster's electoral system was tenable, Britain's leading polling expert said “Those who live by the sword can die by the sword” #ElectoralReform

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Electoral Reform Society @electoralreform.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Proportional systems should make every vote count, but some features can still skew outcomes towards bigger parties. Our latest analysis of the 2011 election shows why Holyrood’s voting system isn’t perfect yet.

buff.ly

Why Holyrood’s voting system still favours larger parties

Everyone knows that First Past the Post favours the largest party. At the last Westminster election, Labour managed to turn 34% of the vote into 63% of parliament – a full 29 percentag

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Astronomy 🔭 @astronomy.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

🚨: NASA just released this closest image of Moon ever taken by Artemis II . The clarity in insane in this view.

Lunar Closeup from NASA Artemis II Gallery https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii-mobile-wallpapers/

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Scotland's voting system has delivered broadly proportional results since 1999. But that could all change this May The dominance of First Past the Post seats could give the SNP an unrepresentative majority despite a fall in support

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Upgrade Holyrood @upgradeholyrood.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

The latest MRP poll for the Scottish Parliament elections puts the SNP on course for a majority of seats on 29% of the vote 🟡 SNP: 67 🔴 Labour: 17 🟢 Greens: 14 🟣 Reform: 14 🔵 Conservatives: 9 🟠 Liberal Democrats: 8 upgradeholyrood.com/2026/04/06/s...

upgradeholyrood.com

SNP could win unrepresentative majority on 29% of the vote, suggests MRP poll

The latest MRP poll suggests the SNP may secure a majority despite a significant vote-seat mismatch in Scotland.

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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

As Nigel Farage builds influence, POLITICO highlights a key moment for UK democracy. Our CEO Emma Harrison was quoted, saying: “This is a bump in the road, not a roadblock.” MPs now have a rare chance to push for electoral reform 👇

politico.eu

Nigel’s business bargain

POLITICO’s weekly newsletter on campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the U.K. By JOHN JOHNSTON Tips, gossip, state secrets and coffee requests @johnjohnstonmi or jjohnston@politico.co.u…

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Upgrade Holyrood @upgradeholyrood.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

The first Scottish Parliament poll with data collected in April indicates a fall in support for Reform — alongside continued SNP constituency dominance contributing to unrepresentative results. Projections put John Swinney's party just shy of a majority 👇 upgradeholyrood.com/2026/04/04/n...

upgradeholyrood.com

New poll projection puts SNP on 62 seats with just a third of the vote

Polling suggests Scotland is on track for an unrepresentative election despite its broadly proportional voting system.

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Richard W @richard-wood.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

However many MSPs are won by Reform in May, that number will be significantly lower by the next election in 2031 Tbh, I will not be surprised at all if there's more than one Reform-turned-independent MSP at Holyrood by the end of 2026. Or even in the first 100 days

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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

"In some areas, First Past the Post could mean MPs getting elected on as little as 25% or 30% of the vote. That is not sustainable for British politics, and it is time for Proportional Representation." 💯💯💯 @richardfoordld.bsky.social

midweekherald.co.uk

OPINION: Prime Minister's Questions is more than a Punch and Judy

When I knock on people’s doors, I sometimes hear the following refrain.

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Big speech by John Major tonight delivering the Clement Attlee memorial lecture at Kings College. Some extracts: thinks that our electoral system may now need changing, Brexit needs revisiting.

Should political donations be capped to protect against undue influence? I believe the
answer is – yes.
Should the House of Lords be elected or appointed? An elected Upper House would
meet democratic aspirations, but would be a monumental mistake. It could – and would –
challenge the primacy of the Commons and create constitutional confusion.
It would not retain the wisdom and lifetime experience to enable it to discharge its
primary function of revising legislation. It would not be a partner to the Commons: it
would be a rival.
Recent General Elections have thrown into doubt the continuing validity of the “first past
the post” system of voting.
As voting preferences spread more widely it provides distorted results. The democratic
case for examining this is growing, although changes would come with distinct
drawbacks.
Should Members of Parliament who defect to a different Party be compelled to face a by-
election? Constitutionally, no – as they are deemed to be elected as individuals.
But, in the real world, they are elected as representatives of a political Party. So – yes:
logic and common decency suggest they must face the electorate again in a by-election.
If the House of Commons wishes to regain the respect it has lost, it must justify the
status-quo – or change it.
And one further thought: is it not time to recognise that Brexit has failed to deliver its
many promises, and the loss, each year, of £100 billion of European trade, and £40
billion of tax revenue is doing enormous damage to the lives and livelihoods of the
British people – and their future?

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