A representative democracy must broadly reflect the interests and attitudes of its people. The outcome of the election on Thursday 4th July has stretched the critical idea that we live in such a democracy to breaking point.  

Under the First Past the Post system, the governing party were awarded 63 percent of seats on only 33.8 percent of the votes cast.

At the same time the 42.3 % of voters who voted for parties other than the 2 major parties were only granted 17.2 % of the seats. That’s one seat per 23,513 votes for Labour and one seat per 482,249 votes for Greens.

Because this is the most distorted election outcome in history it will both damage people's trust in politics further and struggle to deliver the long term, strong and stable government the country needs. To change society we must change the system.

Those who gain from such electoral distortion can’t be allowed to ensure it continues to weaken our belief in democracy.

If politicians are serious about addressing the crisis of trust in politics, this must be the last election distorted by First Past the Post.