Disappointment as electoral reform amendment ruled ‘out of scope’

MPs will not vote on reform of the electoral system after an amendment calling for a national commission was ruled “out of scope”.

An amendment to the Representation of the People Bill, proposed by Labour MP Alex Sobel, called for a commission to review alternatives to first-past-the-post for UK elections.

The amendment was backed by more than 100 Labour MPs from across the party, including Luke Akehurst, Chris Curtis, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Stella Creasy.

However, the amendment was ruled out of scope by the Speaker ahead of an expected vote later today.

READ MORE: Labour Party Conference 2026: Full LabourList events programme, revealed

Alex Sobel said: “Electoral reform is an issue we need to make real progress on. Andy Burnham is right in his longstanding support for proportional representation and a National Commission on Electoral Reform, and I’m delighted that over a quarter of the Parliamentary Labour Party have joined me to back that call. The government should launch a Commission so that it can report in time for the next manifesto.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a longtime supporter of electoral reform, has committed to including a change in voting system in Labour’s manifesto for the next general election, but stopped short of backing Sobel’s amendment.

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

A spokesperson for Labour for a New Democracy said: “This is classic Westminster: it’s absurd that the ‘Representation of the People Bill’ is not allowed to consider how people are represented. But we don’t need a bill amendment, we just need a National Commission on Electoral Reform.

“The momentum behind this idea is unstoppable, with a majority of MPs joining the majority of the public who support action on the voting system.

“The Prime Minister confirmed yesterday that he intends to rethink First Past the Post. He should do so by launching a National Commission, knowing that Parliament and the public are behind him.”

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • 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.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • 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].