Get PR Done!: Recent Episodes
GetPRDone!
The tide is turning for our archaic first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system. Over 100 countries worldwide use some form of proportional representation (PR), while fewer than 50 still use FPTP. Sadly, while 40 out of 43 European countries use PR, as do Scotland and Wales for their legislatures, elections to Westminster are among those seemingly stuck in the past. But there are signs that this could change sooner than we think.
In October 2022, 83% of Labour Party members voted overwhelmingly for PR in Westminster, joining 60% of Constituency Labour Parties, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Plaid Cymru, and the Greens who have all long advocated for PR. Latest polls indicate that 51% of the British public are now in favour of PR too, so the time is ripe.
But what factors in the UK might just tip the balance and pave the way for PR? Put another way, can we learn from the way in which PR came about in those countries that have adopted it? Dr. Dennis Pilon is a Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at York University in Toronto, Canada, and widely acknowledged internationally as an expert in his field. Prof. Pilon has made a special study of how PR came to be introduced in all current democracies which use it. He has agreed to speak to British electoral reformers on the subject of "How did the other democracies get proportional representation?"
We are also in the process of inviting an MP who will provide a counterpoint to Prof. Pilon’s talk, and ask how the lessons learned from other countries’ experience of adopting PR could help us make this vital move before British politics loses what democratic credibility it has left. A Q&A session will follow the speaker slot.
The session will be chaired by Alan Story, co-founder in 2020 of GET PR DONE!
CO-HOSTS
Compass is the political home for everyone who wants to be part of a much more equal, democratic and sustainable future. We are powered by members working to change the political system at the next election and win as one. https://www.compassonline.org.uk/ info@compassonline.org.uk ++++++
GET PR DONE! is a cross party/no party campaigning group that is working to bring in a proportional representation voting system in the UK. As well as carrying out widespread social media and offline campaigning, we believe that the first step on the road to PR has to be an energetic cross party/no party campaign to win Labour Party support. https://getprdone.org.uk getprdone@gmail.com ++++++
Make Votes Matter is a single issue, grassroots campaign for Proportional Representation in general elections. Our work involves on-the-street campaigning, organising events and mass lobbies, providing speakers on PR to communities, and consensus building amongst pro-PR campaigners with our 'Good Systems Agreement'. https://www.makevotesmatter.org.uk/ ++++++++++
Unlock Democracy is fighting for a vibrant inclusive UK democracy that puts power in the hands of the people. We campaign for a wide range of political reforms that are necessary to deliver that goal. https://unlockdemocracy.org.uk/ ++++++++++++++
The Councils for PR Zoom launch session, hosted by Get PR Done! and Make Votes Matter.
How councils can contribute to national political campaigns by passing resolutions. Many, for example, declared their recognition of the Climate Emergency.
Our model motion for councillors to move at their council.
Which councils have already passed a motion in support of PR.
How you can help take this fledging campaign forward and./or join our core organising team. .
Both Make Vote Matter and GET PR DONE! believe we should today practice the collaborative and co-operative politics that PR can deliver in the future. Hence, C4PR as a joint venture.
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About our Guests:
Amelia Womack has been deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales since 2019. Since taking up that post, Amelia has worked across the country, visiting hundreds of local campaigns, events and organisations
Max Wilkinson is the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Cheltenham constituency. Max, a former journalist, is the cabinet member for the climate emergency at Cheltenham Borough Council.
Ricky Knight is a Green councillor in Barnstaple and a founding member of Councils for PR.
Doina Cornell is Labour Party council leader for the district of Stroud.
Wales is often overlooked by electoral reform campaigners in the UK. Given the ongoing reforms occurring there, this is often to our collective detriment.
Join GET PR DONE! at 7:00 pm on April 26th as we shine a spotlight on Wales and electoral reform, with our expert panel:
· Professor Laura McAllister (Policy Unit, Cardiff University)
· Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion)
· Hefin David (Labour MS for Caerphilly)
In this 90 minute Zoom session, our expert panel will discuss:
The public perception of PR in Wales and whether its use for Senedd elections has increased support for electoral reform in Westminster?
The role of Welsh Labour and its leader, Mark Drakeford, in leading electoral reform within the UK Labour Movement by supporting PR.
What responsibilities does the Senedd have, where does its authority overlap with Westminster, and how to negotiate real and potential overlaps?
Does the current form of PR used for Senedd elections need to be improved to improve its proportionality?
The recent moves by the Senedd to give local authorities the choice whether to adopt STV at local elections and the controversy over single candidates.
Join us on April 26th at 7:00pm for an enlightening session on PR in Wales. Please RSVP and we'll send you the zoom link.
About our Guests:
Professor Laura McAllister is Professor of Public Policy and the Governance of Wales at the Wales Governance Centre, Cardiff University. She is a leading authority on devolution, Welsh politics, leadership, gender issues and representation.
Prior to taking a leading role in the field of Welsh constitutional affairs, Laura was a international footballer and team captain with 24 caps.
https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/557433-mcallister-laura
Ben Lake is the Plaid Cymru MP for the Welsh seat of Ceredigion. Ben’s first language is Welsh, and he was first elected in 2017 and retained the seat in 2019 with an increased majority. Ben is currently the youngest MP in Wales elected for Plaid Cymru.
https://www.plaidceredigion.wales/aboutbenlake
Hefin Wyn David is a Welsh Labour politician and the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Caerphilly. He was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2021. Previously, Hefin was a university lecturer and a councillor for Caerphilly County Borough Council.
https://senedd.wales/people/hefin-david-ms/
To explain the current political situation in Finland, its history and how PR works there, as well as the role and future prospects of the LEFT ALLIANCE, GET PR DONE! invited two guest speakers for a Zoom webinar: Danny Dorling: professor of geography at Oxford University, & Dan Koivulaasko ,Vice Minister of Education to LA leader Li Andersson.
President of Fair Vote Canada, Réal Lavergne, and President of the Liberal Democrats, Dr Mark Pack, discuss experiences of PR from across the Atlantic and how lessons from Canada can be applied to British Politics.
Two Kiwi political activists, Phill Saxby (Labour) and Caroline Glass (Green) tell us how NZ ditched FPTP in 1993 and built a fair voting systemâ¦and how it operates.
Dr Jess Garland of the Electoral Reform Society speaking to GET PR DONE! on 29 July about the anti-democratic nature of the First Past the Post voting system.
Neal Lawson, director of progressive platform Compass, speaking in a GET PR DONE Zoom session on 24 June 2021.
Professor Dennis Pilon
York University (Canada), Political Science
Dennis Pilon's research is available online, particularly his The Politics of Voting: Reforming Canada's Electoral System - is available as a PDF. It deals with Canada but actually the major themes are arguments are mostly relevant to the UK as well.
Dennis Pilon research https://yorku.academia.edu/DennisPilonâ
PDF Download: The Politics of Voting: Reforming Canada's Electoral System
https://www.academia.edu/5367180/The_Politics_of_Voting_Reforming_Canadas_Electoral_System