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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics

We need a better system to elect our government

A voter arrives at a polling station to vote in the Rochdale by-election on February 29, 2024 in Rochdale, England.
‘The alternative vote could maintain the present arrangement and ensure that MPs are actually acceptable to a majority of their electors.’ Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Your editorial on electoral reform (21 June) rightly points out the inadequacy of the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system. However, it is not enough simply to call for proportional representation (PR), as there are a range of different systems under that label. It seems obvious to me that we need a royal commission on achieving a better system.

One option that might be considered could be based on the alternative vote (AV), which was offered – but not seriously – in a referendum in 2011. There are problems with any form of PR, which would be met by AV. The constituencies would be far bigger – leading to fewer people identifying with them and their representatives.

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