Polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice has emerged as the favourite to lead Andy Burnham’s commission on electoral reform that could see the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system scrapped, reports BritPanorama.
The commission to change the voting system for parliament was announced by Burnham amid a series of startling policies in his first speech as prime minister at a Labour Party conference in Liverpool. It will consider altering the way people cast their votes in Westminster elections, with the prime minister himself supporting a switch to a proportional representation (PR) model, a move that could prove seismic for the future of British politics.
While Sir John told an outlet that he has not been approached, Labour sources indicate he is the preferred name to chair the commission on electoral reform, aiming to provide it with authority and win public trust.
The 72-year-old Strathclyde University academic and the UK’s leading polling expert was awarded a knighthood by former prime minister Theresa May and has become a well-known figure over decades of commenting on polling.
Sir John is no stranger to the electoral reform debate and has participated in panels for campaign groups advocating for proportional representation, such as Make Votes Matter and the Electoral Reform Society.
One senior Labour figure remarked, “John Curtice is the obvious person to chair this commission. The public know and trust him and will respect the conclusions if it is fronted by someone with his authority.” They added, “Andy Burnham doesn’t have many options to chair this commission. Curtice is a no-brainer.”
A Downing Street source stated they “are not at the stage” of approaching anyone yet.
Sir John has frequently commented on the way that the traditional FPTP system, where seats are determined by the party receiving the most votes in a constituency rather than a majority of overall votes, is becoming increasingly outdated.
In an article for the BBC in May, he noted, “Historically, the [first past the post] system has also given whoever is the victor in the electoral battle between Conservative and Labour a boost in seats. The two parties thus both get the chance of securing a period of untrammeled majority government rather than having to negotiate the rocky shores of minority or coalition government.”
However, he suggested that recent election outcomes raise questions about whether the FPTP system will continue to benefit the Conservatives and Labour in the future, indicating a potential shift toward more significant multi-party politics.
He pointed out that “fewer than three in five people voted Conservative or Labour in the 2024 general election. That was the lowest proportion since and including 1922, when Labour first became the Conservatives’ principal competitors.”
Speaking on a panel for Make Votes Matter in May, Sir John emphasized the unfairness inherent in the current system, where a party can accumulate many votes but secure very few seats. He said, “If at the same time your vote goes down and becomes more geographically spread, the system will murder you.”
However, writing in The Times, he cautioned that Mr. Burnham’s plans to introduce a more proportional system “would come at a price” for the party. “Electoral systems vary in their degree of proportionality, but virtually any conceivable alternative would have treated Reform much more favourably,” he elaborated. “While electoral reform might make it much difficult for a future Reform leader to become prime minister, it would make it easier for the party to establish the significant parliamentary presence it currently lacks.”
The proposal brings into focus the pressing need for systemic change within UK politics, reflecting ongoing debates about representation and electoral fairness.
