Labour to scrap first past the post for mayoral and PCC elections

The Labour government has set out plans to scrap the first past the post voting system for mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections in England.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, introduced to Parliament yesterday, aims to give people across England the power to “take back control of their regions, from bolstered rights to save cherished community assets”.

Among the measures in the bill includes a provision that will switch the voting system for mayoral elections in England back to the supplementary vote system, reversing a reform made by the Conservatives in 2022.

The government said the legislation will deliver on its manifesto commitment to shift power away from Westminster and deliver a decade of national renewal across the nation.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “We were elected on a promise of change, not just for a few areas cherry-picked by a Whitehall spreadsheet, but for the entire country. It was never going to be easy to deliver the growth our country desperately needed with the inheritance we were dumped with.

“But that’s why we are opting to devolve not dictate and delivering a Bill that will rebalance decade old divides and empower communities. We’re ushering in a new dawn of regional power and bringing decision making to a local level so that no single street or household is left behind and every community thrives from our Plan for Change.”

READ MORE: New intake Labour MPs: ‘Why we set up the Living Standards Coalition’

Alex Sobel, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections and Labour MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, said: “Since the Tories imposed First Past the Post on mayoral elections, it has failed to fairly represent voters, undermined the ability of mayors to speak for their whole communities, and therefore eroded trust in politics.

“By committing to changing this, the government has wisely taken a step in the right direction – but First Past the Post is just as flawed when it comes to general elections. The government should set up a National Commission on Electoral Reform to find a fair, representative way forward.”

Andrew Ranger, MP for Wrexham and member of the APPG, welcomed the move but called on the government to also review the voting system used for general elections.

“It’s hugely welcome that the Government has listened to Labour MPs and mayors on this issue – who want to be sure that new and existing authorities are seen as legitimate, credible and effective. Ensuring that directly elected mayors have a broad and positive mandate is crucial to that.

“I hope the government will similarly embrace a discussion about making our general elections fair, representative, and fit for the 21st century.”

Beccy Cooper, Labour MP for Worthing West, said: “The government is right to put fairness at the heart of elections for mayors. These announcements are hugely welcome and will go some way to addressing the democratic vandalism of the last Conservative government.

“First past the post is not fit for purpose – for mayors or for Westminster. We need a National Commission for Electoral Reform to look at the options for fairer, trustworthy elections.”

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of all things Labour – and follow us on  Bluesky, WhatsApp, Threads, X or Facebook.

• SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
• SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
• DONATE: If you value our work, please chip in a few pounds a week and become one of our supporters, helping sustain and expand our coverage.
• PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
• ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].