APPG for Fair Elections launches in Westminster
On 25 November, the new APPG for Fair Elections launched with over 100 members, with speeches and endorsements from cross-party figures including Mark Drakeford, Amber Rudd and Rory Steward.
The launch marked the release of the APPG’s first report – Free But Not Fair: British elections and how to restore trust in politics – with a call on the government to address the threat First Past The Post (FPTP), dark money and disinformation pose to British democracy through three key recommendations:
- Establish a National Commission on Electoral Reform in 2025.
- Close donation loopholes and strengthen the Electoral Commission
- Require transparency in handling of ‘legal but harmful’ content
APPG Chair Alex Sobel MP said, “The causes of distrust in politics run deep. Just six per cent of Britons believe voters’ views are the main influence on government decisions. Most people agree with the statement: “It doesn’t matter who you vote for, nothing will ever really change”. Just one in three trusted this year’s general election campaign to represent the concerns of people like them. We are not alone, and we can see the results of falling trust in democracy around the world… We hope everyone who wants clean, fair elections will join us – and we call on the government to tackle the root causes of distrust in politics. ”
Amber Rudd, former Conservative Home Secretary, has also expressed her support for the new APPG saying, “We need to address the growing distrust and division in our politics. Our democratic institutions should be a global benchmark, and modernisation is essential to achieve this. With a growing cross-party consensus in support of electoral reform, I fully endorse the APPG for Fair Elections’ efforts. Now is the time to strengthen British democracy.”
Speaking at the event, former First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said: “By treating voters so unfairly and producing such distorted results, Westminster’s electoral system is driving a wedge between politicians and the people they are supposed to represent. A National Commission on Electoral Reform would be an important first step towards allowing people to again have confidence in Britain’s political system.”
Former Cabinet member, Rory Stewart, endorsed the APPG: “I welcome the setting up of the new APPG. Its objectives, replacing First Past the Post with a more proportional system that more closely matches seats to votes, eliminating dark money and undemocratic influence from our politics and countering disinformation in the public discourse are ones I whole-heartedly support”.
APPG Vice-Chair Ellie Chowns MP said, “Polling shows there’s now record and majority public support – especially among those who trust politics the least – for changing to a fair voting system that makes every vote count equally. The Prime Minister says restoring trust in politics is a priority, but it’s not possible without addressing the underlying causes. The government should launch an independent National Commission that allows citizens, alongside experts, to recommend a new system in which every vote counts equally.”
APPG Vice-Chair Lisa Smart MP said, “In the last decade, there’s been repeated stories of donations from secretive sources, some with questionable ties to foreign interests. Glaring loopholes in our campaign finance rules not only leave Britain open to undue and often hidden influence, but diminish voters’ confidence in politicians, institutions, and in the power of their vote to effect change. While our crucial campaign finance watchdog, the Electoral Commission, does its best to regulate, its powers and independence from government are limited. The last government’s Elections Act only made matters worse… we are calling for the closure of donation loopholes, which allow would-be donors to evade scrutiny. Doing so would be the first major change to campaign finance rules since the year 2000.”
Gavin Esler, who hosted the launch event, said: “Disinformation isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a direct attack on democracy. It distorts public debate, undermines trust in institutions, and makes it nearly impossible for voters to make informed decisions. Yet the UK lags behind other democracies in tackling this crisis. Brazil, the European Union, and even the United States have introduced stronger regulations to combat harmful content. Britain must do the same. The APPG for Fair Elections has proposed a straightforward solution: amend the Online Safety Act to require platforms to publish transparency reports on “legal but harmful” content. Voters have a right to know how their information environment is being shaped – and by whom.
Media coverage
The Launch of the APPG was covered in the following media outlets:
- The government must tackle distrust in politics – starting with our voting system – Alex Sobel MP / The House Magazine
- Let’s seize the moment to haul our clunking democracy into the 21st century – Ellie Chowns MP / Politics.co.uk
- Dark money is undermining trust in politics — MPs are calling on government to act – Lisa Smart MP / Politics.co.uk
- A Broken Contract: Why Britain’s Democracy No Longer Works for You – BylineTimes
- MPs issue cross-party call for National Commission so that First Past the Post voting system can be scrapped – Left Foot Forward
- Dozens of new Labour MPs join group pushing for electoral reform – The Guardian
- Labour MP Calls For Electoral Reform After “Most Disproportionate” General Election Result Ever – PoliticsHome
- Rory Stewart, Amber Rudd among cross-party campaign demanding major political reform & Electoral reform could save Keir Starmer and Labour Politics.co.uk
