The UK's "choose-one" First-Past-the-Post system guarantees a two-party dominance, forcing voters into tactical decisions rather than allowing them to vote for who they truly support.
The simplest, most effective solution is to let people vote for their preferred party, with seats allocated proportionally. We call this Fair Share Voting.
This isn't a radical idea. It's a proven system used across Europe that would empower voters and lead to a more representative government. For the Labour Party, a party of progress and reform, this is a historic opportunity to fix our broken political system.
For a party that wants to deliver a decade of national renewal, electoral reform is not just an option, it's a necessity.
Fair Share Voting: A Hybrid Proportional Solution
Fair Share Voting combines the simplicity of closed list proportional representation with a vote transfer system to ensure every vote counts. Voters choose their preferred party, and seats are allocated proportionally. Parties below a 5% threshold have their votes transferred to other parties based on pre-declared transfer preferences that are announced before the election, ensuring maximum representation while maintaining the simplicity voters expect.
How Fair Share Voting Works
đłď¸ The Ballot
Under Fair Share Voting, you simply vote for your preferred party:
The Ballot
Simply mark your preferred party:
â Simple, familiar voting method!
đ How Seats Are Allocated
Seats are allocated using a hybrid proportional system with vote transfers:
Count Party Votes
Count total votes for each party nationwide
Apply 5% Threshold
Parties must receive at least 5% of total votes to qualify for seats
Transfer Below-Threshold Votes
Votes from parties below 5% are transferred to other parties based on pre-declared transfer preferences announced before the election
Allocate Seats Proportionally
Seats are assigned proportionally to the remaining parties using highest-averages method
Parties Fill Seats
Each party fills their allocated seats from their pre-ordered candidate list
đ How the Hybrid System Works
Fair Share Voting combines the best of both worlds:
- Initial Allocation: Each party gets seats based on their vote share using a Hare quota system
- Threshold Application: Parties below 5% cannot keep seats and their votes are transferred
- Vote Transfers: Below-threshold votes are transferred to other parties based on each party's pre-declared transfer preferences (e.g., Green Party declares that their votes should go to Labour if they fall below 5%)
- Final Proportional Allocation: Remaining seats are distributed proportionally among qualifying parties
- Result: Maximum representation with no wasted votes, while maintaining electoral stability
đ Understanding Vote Transfers
The transfer system ensures that every vote contributes to representation, with two types of transfers:
- Below-Threshold Transfers: When a party falls below 5%, ALL their votes are transferred to their pre-declared preferred party (e.g., if Green Party gets 4%, all their votes go to Labour as declared before the election)
- Surplus Vote Transfers: Even winning parties may have surplus votes above what's needed for their seats - these are also transferred to their preferred parties
- Pre-Declared Preferences: Each party must publicly announce their transfer preferences BEFORE the election, so voters know exactly where their votes will go
- Democratic Process: Transfer preferences are set through internal party democracy and consultation with supporters
- No Wasted Votes: Every vote contributes to electing representatives, even if not from the voter's first choice
- Coalition Building: Transfers encourage parties to work together and find common ground
â° When Are Transfer Preferences Set?
Before the election: All parties must publicly announce their transfer preferences well in advance of voting day. This ensures complete transparency and allows voters to make informed decisions about which party to support.
Democratic consultation: Each party's transfer preferences are determined through internal democratic processes, often including member votes and consultation with supporters.
â Why This Matters
- True Representation: Seat share matches vote share - no more artificial majorities
- Every Vote Counts: No "safe seats" or "wasted votes" - your voice matters everywhere
- Regional Representation: Parties are incentivized to include candidates from all regions on their lists
- Diversity: Parties can ensure their lists reflect the diversity of their support base
- Coalition Building: Parties must work together and find common ground
- Party Accountability: List composition and ordering is transparent and subject to internal democracy
- Cross-Regional Support: Voters can support regional parties regardless of where they live
Why Fair Share Voting Works
Fair Share Voting combines the proven benefits of proportional representation with an innovative transfer system to maximize representation. While more complex than pure closed list PR, it provides significant advantages over FPTP and ensures no vote is wasted. The key advantages are:
đłď¸ Simplicity vs. Effectiveness
Complex Systems
- Ranked choice voting requires complex counting
- STV ballots are confusing and error-prone
- Results can take days to determine
- Voters struggle to understand the process
Fair Share Voting
- Simple X next to preferred party
- Familiar voting method
- Results available election night
- Vote transfers happen automatically
đ Representation
FPTP Problems
- Wasted votes in safe seats
- Regional parties excluded
- Artificial majorities
- No cross-regional support
Proportional Benefits
- Every vote counts towards representation
- Regional parties can get national support
- Seat share matches vote share
- Cross-regional voting possible
đď¸ Party Democracy
Individual Candidates
- Focus on personality over policy
- Local interests dominate
- Difficult to ensure diversity
- No party accountability
Party Lists
- Policy-focused campaigns
- Parties balance regional interests
- Parties can ensure diverse representation
- Internal party democracy
đ¤ Coalition Building
FPTP Problems
- Rare coalition governments
- Unstable when they do form
- Policy gridlock common
- Voter dissatisfaction
Proportional Benefits
- Stable coalition governments
- Parties work together
- Policy compromise and progress
- Broad-based support
đ Real-World Success Stories
Germany
Uses Mixed Member Proportional with closed lists. Stable coalitions, diverse representation, and strong regional parties like the CSU.
Spain
Closed list proportional representation. Regional parties like ERC and PNV have national influence despite small vote shares.
Netherlands
Pure proportional representation with closed lists. Highly diverse parliament with many parties represented.
Sweden
Closed list PR with 4% threshold. Stable governments and strong representation of smaller parties.
đŻ The Bottom Line
Fair Share Voting is an innovative hybrid system that combines the simplicity of closed list PR with the representation benefits of vote transfers. While more complex than pure proportional systems, it ensures maximum representation with no wasted votes, making it a powerful tool for electoral reform in the UK.
Remember: The goal is maximum representation with electoral stability. Fair Share Voting achieves this through its hybrid approach.
Regional Representation and Cross-Regional Support
One of the key advantages of Fair Share Voting is how it handles regional representation through its innovative transfer system. Under the current FPTP system, regional parties like the SNP, Plaid Cymru, or the Northern Irish parties are limited to their geographic regions. With Fair Share Voting, these parties can receive votes from supporters across the entire UK, and when they fall below the 5% threshold, their votes are transferred to other parties based on pre-declared transfer preferences, ensuring regional voices still influence national politics.
đ´ó §ó ˘ó łó Łó ´ó ż How Regional Representation Works
- National Voting: Voters can support regional parties regardless of where they live
- Threshold Protection: Regional parties below 5% have their votes transferred rather than wasted
- Democratic Transfers: Transfer preferences are set through consultation with party members and supporters, and publicly announced before the election
- Influence Preservation: Even small regional parties can influence national policy through vote transfers
- Balanced Lists: Major parties are incentivized to include candidates from all regions on their lists
Party Internal Democracy
Fair Share Voting strengthens party internal democracy in two key ways. First, parties must create and maintain candidate lists that reflect their values and priorities through transparent internal processes. Second, parties must establish transfer preferences through democratic consultation with their members, giving party members a direct say in both who represents them and where their votes go if they fall below the threshold.
Interactive Demonstration
Interactive Demonstration
Compare how the same votes produce different results under different voting systems. The Fair Share Voting system includes vote transfers for parties below the 5% threshold, ensuring maximum representation.
First Past the Post
Fair Share Voting (with transfers)
Adjust Vote Shares and Transfer Preferences
Modify the vote totals for each party and see how seat allocation changes. You can also adjust transfer preferences to see how below-threshold votes are redistributed:
| Party | Votes | % | Transfer Preferences |
|---|
đ How Transfer Preferences Work
When a party falls below the 5% threshold, their votes are automatically transferred to other parties based on the preferences you set above. This ensures no votes are wasted and maximum representation is achieved.
- Democratic Process: In real elections, these preferences would be set through party member consultation and publicly announced before the election
- Strategic Alliances: Parties can align with ideologically similar parties
- Regional Considerations: Transfer preferences can reflect regional and policy alignments
- Transparency: All transfer preferences are public knowledge, allowing voters to make informed decisions
Detailed Seat Allocation Process
Step-by-step breakdown of how seats are allocated using the Fair Share Voting system: