Government to scrap First Past the Post for mayoral elections

The APPG for Fair Elections welcomes Government legislation to abolish First Past the Post for mayor and police & crime commissioner elections.

The English Devolution and Empowerment Bill reverses the change made by the previous Government in 2022, which replaced the longstanding ‘preferential’ voting system with First Past the Post.

Responding to the news Alex Sobel MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections, said: “Since the last Government 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.”

The introduction of First Past the Post for mayoral and police & crime commissioner elections has resulted in mayors being elected on very small shares of the vote, undermining their democratic mandates and eroding trust in the political system:

• In the last set of English mayoral elections held under the preferential system, in 2021, all seven positions were elected with the support of a majority of local voters.
• In the 2024 elections, the first such elections held since the introduction of First Past the Post, only five of the ten mayors elected received a majority of the vote, with one receiving just 35%.
• In this year’s elections, none of the six winning candidates received a majority of the vote, with one candidate winning on just one quarter of the votes cast. The mayors elected in May on average received less than one in three votes cast.

Ellie Chowns MP, Vice Chair of the APPG for Fair Elections, said: “The case for scrapping First Past the Post for mayoral elections is overwhelming – and it’s good news that the Government is taking this change forward. If anything, the case for scrapping First Past the Post for general elections is even stronger. We need a fair, proportional system in which every vote counts. The Government should set up a National Commission to examine the issues and recommend a new voting system for Westminster.”

Lisa Smart MP, Vice Chair of the APPG for Fair Elections, said: “Bringing back fair elections for mayors is a no-brainer – so it’s good to see some common sense from this government when it comes to strengthening British democracy. Labour knows First Past the Post is failing to fairly represent what people want from politics. We need a representative system where every vote counts equally. The Government must set up a National Commission to get to grips with our broken voting system propose a way forward that commands public trust and confidence.”

In July, the British Social Attitudes survey revealed record support for electoral reform, with 60% of voters in favour of change, including a majority of supporters of all major political parties.