Key facts
- 57% of U.K. adults surveyed believe the first-past-the-post voting system is mostly or completely fair.
- Support for proportional representation (PR) among Labour voters was 54% when proposed by Labour, but dropped to 36% when branded as a Reform UK proposal.
- Overall, 41% of U.K. adults support a Labour proposal for PR, while 22% oppose it.
- The current first-past-the-post system allows a candidate to win a seat with fewer than a majority of local votes.
- Labour won the last election with 63% of seats on 34% of the vote, the most disproportionate result in British history.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces an uphill battle to convince U.K. voters to abandon the first-past-the-post electoral system, according to a new POLITICO Poll conducted by Public First. The survey, released October 2, 2026, found that a majority of adults, across party lines, believe the current system is fair.
The first-past-the-post method, in use since 1884, elects the candidate with the most votes in a constituency, even if they lack a majority. This can lead to disproportionate parliamentary representation, as seen in the 2024 election where Labour secured 63% of seats with only 34% of the vote.
Burnham has pledged to introduce proposals for a new system, citing political instability and the risk of a government taking power with less than 30% of the vote. However, the Public First poll revealed that 57% of respondents consider first-past-the-post to be mostly or completely fair.
While there is some openness to proportional representation (PR), where seats align more closely with national vote share, support is heavily influenced by who proposes it. A Labour proposal for PR garnered 54% support from Labour voters, but only 36% when presented as a Reform UK initiative. Overall, 41% of U.K. adults expressed support for a Labour-led move to PR, with 22% opposed.
Seb Wride, head of polling at Public First, noted that voters often judge reform proposals based on the proposer, suggesting Burnham must build a strong case for necessity given low trust in politicians. Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, has recently downplayed the urgency of discussing electoral reform.
Burnham's team is reportedly considering a "supplementary vote" system, similar to that used for Greater Manchester mayoral elections, which allows for second preferences. Burnham himself has spoken positively about this system's ability to foster better political engagement.