The Real Winner of Britain’s Elections? Distrust.

Why Britain’s electoral system is breaking under the weight of a five-party democracy—and what we must do next.

As Britain’s local election results roll in, one thing is clear: the country is plunging deeper into electoral chaos. Voters are making themselves heard across five political parties—yet they’re forced to do so within a system designed for just two. The result? A First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system that increasingly undermines public trust in our democracy.

A Night of Shocks and Shifts

Last night was a disaster for both the Conservative Party and the Labour Government. The two political giants that have dominated British politics for generations emerged as the biggest losers from yesterday’s local elections.

Some results were nail-biters. In the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, Reform UK candidate Sarah Pochin edged out Labour by just six votes—an astonishing turnaround from Labour’s 14,000-vote majority less than a year ago. Elsewhere, the blows were far more decisive, like Reform UK’s landslide win in Throston ward, Hartlepool, delivering a stinging rebuke to Labour right out of the gate. But the Tories took the most sustained battering, squeezed from both left and right by aggressive challengers.

Nigel Farage wasted no time in claiming victory, declaring Reform UK the “main opposition”—an assessment that, while self-serving, eerily echoes predictions made just days ago. Farage, of course, hails this as a triumph; we see it differently. It’s a warning sign of the declining quality and integrity of British politics.

Labour’s Unsteady Ground

Labour’s leadership, from Keir Starmer to party chair Ellie Reeves, tried to explain away the poor showing by arguing that voters haven’t yet felt the benefits of their “change” agenda. But many voters disagree—they have felt the change, especially in areas like cold weather payments and PIP reform, and they’re not happy about it.

The political earthquake has been so seismic it even drew Jacob Rees-Mogg onto the airwaves, where he floated the prospect of Conservative-Reform alliances in hung councils. Rees-Mogg downplayed policy differences between the two parties, joking that the only real divergence is over proportional representation—a policy, ironically, that Reform may soon abandon as its own success grows.

The Deeper Problem: A Broken System

Rees-Mogg may be dismissive, but proportional representation is no small matter. It’s the one reform that could shatter the political duopoly and bring Britain’s electoral system into the 21st century—a reform the public increasingly supports.

The last general election saw Britain’s most fragmented vote ever, yet produced the most disproportionate outcome in history. These local elections continue that trend, pushing public faith in democracy to the breaking point.

Where We Go From Here

In the wake of these results, our mission is clear:

✅ Expose the empty populism of Nigel Farage. While he taps into real grievances, Reform UK offers little in the way of serious solutions to Britain’s deepening crises.

✅ Champion multi-party politics. The public is already voting like a multi-party country; it’s time the electoral system caught up. That’s why we’re pushing for a proportional voting system—and why we need your support. If you haven’t yet, sign our petition calling for a National Commission on Electoral Reform.

This is in addition to our ongoing efforts, alongside the APPG for Fair Elections, to get dark money out of politics and safeguard our democracy from disinformation.

A Small Team Making a Big Impact

We may be a small team, but we punch well above our weight. We’ve built a formidable coalition of MPs and Peers in Parliament, and we’re growing a mass movement outside it. With this twin-track strategy, we’re well positioned to deliver the change needed to ensure politics works for ordinary people—not just the rich and well-connected.

Days like today remind us why our mission matters so much.