Latest news with #AlexScholes
The National
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Support for UK electoral reform is at a record high. Here's why
A total of 60% of the population now want to change the voting system 'to allow for smaller parties to get a fairer share of MPs', according to the British Social Attitudes survey. This change is backed by a majority of supporters of all parties and by those with low levels of trust and confidence in government. The figure represents a staggering increase of 33% since 2011, when less than a third of people wanted to change the system. READ MORE: Here's what we learned from John Curtice's new polling report A report – compiled by Professor John Curtice, Alex Scholes and Aisha Chabdu and entitled Britain's Democracy: A Health Check – shows how just 36% of people are now happy with the first past the post voting system staying as it is. The authors concluded voters seemed to feel the choice between Labour and the Tories at the General Election was 'a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee'. For the first time, more than half of people (53%) say they would prefer a coalition running the UK than a one-party government (41%). It comes after the Labour Party managed to secure a huge majority of MPs in the Commons last July despite winning just over a third of the vote. Willie Sullivan, senior director of campaigns for the Electoral Reform Society, said the General Election in 2024 was the 'most disproportional ever' and clearly showed people are now voting in a multi-party way. He said: 'Public support to change the electoral system has hit a record 60%, according to the latest British Social Attitudes survey, showing a clear majority want to ditch Westminster's distorting First Past the Post system. 'This surge in support comes after last year's General Election was the most disproportional ever, meaning the current Parliament least represents how the whole country voted of any in history. 'The General Election and this year's local elections also showed that people are clearly voting in a multi-party way, and we now need a proportional voting system that accurately represents how they are voting with the MPs they get at Westminster. 'Having a fair and accurate voting system is a crucial step to restoring trust in politics, which the latest BSA results also alarmingly found has slumped to a record low.' The below graph shows how people's attitudes towards the voting system have changed, with a dramatic shift forming over the past five years. (Image: British Social Attitudes Survey) Despite Labour clinching this landslide victory, the survey suggests there has only been a slight decline since 2023 in Labour supporters' backing for electoral reform, with 55% still in favour of change. The survey also showed just 12% trust governments to put the interests of the nation above those of their own party 'just about always or most of the time' – which is a record low. Only 19% think the system of governing Britain needs little or no improvement. In its conclusion, the report says the survey has 'left some significant questions hanging over the continued health of Britain's traditional system of democracy' with the authors suggesting many voters felt the choice between Labour and the Tories was like 'a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee'. It said: 'What the election does appear to have done is to provide an opportunity for some voters to express their discontent by voting for parties that posed an unprecedentedly strong challenge to the country's traditional, limited panoply of political parties. 'Those with low levels of trust and confidence were markedly more likely to vote for Reform or the Greens, thereby helping to push the share of the vote won by the Conservatives and Labour combined to a record low. 'For many, the choice between the two parties of government looked too much like a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.' READ MORE: Corbyn-led party would attract 10 per cent of vote, poll says The traditional demographic division between middle and working-class voters that had long provided the foundation of support for the Conservatives and Labour respectively showed 'no signs of re-emerging', the report said, with voters age and educational background mattering much more. The authors warned that while the debate on electoral reform is important, people should not jump to conclusions that changing the voting system would restore faith in government. 'We should be wary of anticipating that changing the electoral system would prove sufficient to restore voters' faith in how they are being governed,' the report said. 'Ultimately, they are looking for more effective government than they feel they have enjoyed in recent years, not least in respect of the economy and public services. The key question ultimately facing Britain's democracy is whether it can deliver.'
The National
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Why has electoral reform support reached record high in UK?
A total of 60% of the population now want to change the voting system 'to allow for smaller parties to get a fairer share of MPs', according to the British Social Attitudes survey. This change is backed by a majority of supporters of all parties and by those with low levels of trust and confidence in government. The figure represents a staggering increase of 33% since 2011, when less than a third of people wanted to change the system. READ MORE: Here's what we learned from John Curtice's new polling report A report – compiled by Professor John Curtice, Alex Scholes and Aisha Chabdu and entitled Britain's Democracy: A Health Check – shows how just 36% of people are now happy with the first past the post voting system staying as it is. The authors concluded voters seemed to feel the choice between Labour and the Tories at the General Election was 'a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee'. For the first time, more than half of people (53%) say they would prefer a coalition running the UK than a one-party government (41%). It comes after the Labour Party managed to secure a huge majority of MPs in the Commons last July despite winning just over a third of the vote. Willie Sullivan, senior director of campaigns for the Electoral Reform Society, said the General Election in 2024 was the 'most disproportional ever' and clearly showed people are now voting in a multi-party way. He said: 'Public support to change the electoral system has hit a record 60%, according to the latest British Social Attitudes survey, showing a clear majority want to ditch Westminster's distorting First Past the Post system. 'This surge in support comes after last year's general election was the most disproportional ever, meaning the current Parliament least represents how the whole country voted of any in history. 'The general election and this year's local elections also showed that people are clearly voting in a multi-party way, and we now need a proportional voting system that accurately represents how they are voting with the MPs they get at Westminster. 'Having a fair and accurate voting system is a crucial step to restoring trust in politics, which the latest BSA results also alarmingly found has slumped to a record low.' The below graph shows how people's attitudes towards the voting system have changed, with a dramatic shift forming over the past five years. (Image: British Social Attitudes Survey) Despite Labour clinching this landslide victory, the survey suggests there has only been a slight decline since 2023 in Labour supporters' backing for electoral reform, with 55% still in favour of change. The survey also showed just 12% trust governments to put the interests of the nation above those of their own party 'just about always or most of the time' – which is a record low. Only 19% think the system of governing Britain needs little or no improvement. In its conclusion, the report says the survey has 'left some significant questions hanging over the continued health of Britain's traditional system of democracy' with the authors suggesting many voters felt the choice between Labour and the Tories was like 'a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee'. It said: 'What the election does appear to have done is to provide an opportunity for some voters to express their discontent by voting for parties that posed an unprecedentedly strong challenge to the country's traditional, limited panoply of political parties. 'Those with low levels of trust and confidence were markedly more likely to vote for Reform or the Greens, thereby helping to push the share of the vote won by the Conservatives and Labour combined to a record low. 'For many, the choice between the two parties of government looked too much like a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.' READ MORE: Corbyn-led party would attract 10 per cent of vote, poll says The traditional demographic division between middle and working-class voters that had long provided the foundation of support for the Conservatives and Labour respectively showed 'no signs of re-emerging', the report said, with voters age and educational background mattering much more. The authors warned that while the debate on electoral reform is important, people should not jump to conclusions that changing the voting system would restore faith in government. 'We should be wary of anticipating that changing the electoral system would prove sufficient to restore voters' faith in how they are being governed,' the report said. 'Ultimately, they are looking for more effective government than they feel they have enjoyed in recent years, not least in respect of the economy and public services. The key question ultimately facing Britain's democracy is whether it can deliver.'
Rhyl Journal
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Survey ‘suggests political system poised for potential transformation'
The findings of a new survey also show there is a clear appetite for electoral reform, with a record number backing changes to allow smaller political parties 'to get a fairer share of MPs', the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) said. NatCen, which published the latest chapter of the British Social Attitudes (BSA) report on Wednesday, said that before the recent rise in the popularity of Reform UK, significant questions about the future of two-party politics were raised by the outcome of the 2024 general election. The election did not improve low levels of trust and confidence in how the country is governed, researchers found, with a record low of 19% of the public saying the system needs little or no improvement before the election repeated in the latest survey. In addition, just 12% of those surveyed said they trust governments to put the country's interest before their party's interests 'just about always' or 'most of the time'. This is a smaller percentage than the previous record lowest level of 14% registered in 2023, while NatCen said high levels of dissatisfaction with the NHS, the economy and Brexit continue to undermine public trust and confidence. Meanwhile, amid diminishing class-based support for the two main parties, age and education are now viewed as more important factors. Labour failed to reconnect with its traditional working class base during the election campaign, continuing a trend that emerged in 2019, the survey suggests. Just 30% of those in what NatCen describes as 'semi-routine and routine occupations' voted Labour, compared with 42% of people in professional and managerial jobs. The survey showed age and education are now the 'principal dividing line in British politics', demonstrated by only 6% of 18 to 24-year-olds of those surveyed voting Conservative, compared with 36% of voters aged 65 or over. Only 5% of graduates voted for Reform UK, compared with 25% of those with less than one A-level. While a record 60% of those surveyed said the electoral system should be changed to allow smaller political parties to get their 'fair share' of MPs, just 36% said the status quo should be maintained 'to produce effective government'. For the first time a majority of supporters of all political parties said they backed electoral reform, with as much as 90% of Green supporters and 78% of Reform voters confirming this position. In another first, more than half of respondents said they would prefer a coalition government, compared with 41% who opted for a single party in power. Commenting on the findings, Alex Scholes, research director at NatCen, said: 'The 2024 election highlighted significant challenges to Britain's traditional two-party system and the result has yet to restore public trust and confidence. 'With voter trust at an all-time low and a growing support for electoral reform, the political landscape is poised for potential transformation. 'Whether this will lead to substantive changes in how the country is governed remains to be seen.' The survey also found a record 26% of participants said they are struggling to live on their current income, up from 16% before the pandemic. The proportion who said they are living comfortably has also fallen over the same period from 50% to a record low of 35%. With Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer facing a backlash from some Labour MPs over proposals to reform the welfare system which are expected to save up to £5 billion a year, support for more spending on disability benefits fell to a record low of 45%, down 22 points since 2017. Just over a quarter of respondents (29%) said it is too easy for people to claim and receive disability benefits, while the same proportion said it is too difficult. However, just 11% said spending on disability benefits should be cut. The survey also found 69% believe the economy is worse off as a result of leaving the European Union. Within the backdrop of Labour pledging a significant uplift in the delivery of new homes as a key element of its bid to boost economic growth, the proportion of people who support more homes in their local area has fallen from 57% in 2018 to 41% now. Meanwhile, a third are opposed, up from 23% in 2018. Sir John Curtice, senior research fellow at NatCen, said voters are aware of the challenges but not 'necessarily ready to back the various remedies that Labour have been offering to overcome the country's difficulties'. He added: 'They are not necessarily prepared to embrace a dash for more infrastructure building, including perhaps not least anything that appears in their own backyard. 'Tightening up on disability benefits is potentially controversial too, as the Government has already discovered. 'The political difficulty with these policies is there are potentially identifiable winners and losers, and it is often the losers who shout the loudest. 'Pursuing economic growth rather than tax rises as the route out of fiscal constraint will not necessarily be the easier path for Labour to tread.' The British Social Attitudes survey has been conducted annually since 1983. The latest survey consisted of 4,120 interviews with a 'representative, random sample' of adults in the UK and was conducted between September 16 and October 27 2024.
Leader Live
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Leader Live
Survey ‘suggests political system poised for potential transformation'
The findings of a new survey also show there is a clear appetite for electoral reform, with a record number backing changes to allow smaller political parties 'to get a fairer share of MPs', the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) said. NatCen, which published the latest chapter of the British Social Attitudes (BSA) report on Wednesday, said that before the recent rise in the popularity of Reform UK, significant questions about the future of two-party politics were raised by the outcome of the 2024 general election. The election did not improve low levels of trust and confidence in how the country is governed, researchers found, with a record low of 19% of the public saying the system needs little or no improvement before the election repeated in the latest survey. In addition, just 12% of those surveyed said they trust governments to put the country's interest before their party's interests 'just about always' or 'most of the time'. This is a smaller percentage than the previous record lowest level of 14% registered in 2023, while NatCen said high levels of dissatisfaction with the NHS, the economy and Brexit continue to undermine public trust and confidence. Meanwhile, amid diminishing class-based support for the two main parties, age and education are now viewed as more important factors. Labour failed to reconnect with its traditional working class base during the election campaign, continuing a trend that emerged in 2019, the survey suggests. Just 30% of those in what NatCen describes as 'semi-routine and routine occupations' voted Labour, compared with 42% of people in professional and managerial jobs. The survey showed age and education are now the 'principal dividing line in British politics', demonstrated by only 6% of 18 to 24-year-olds of those surveyed voting Conservative, compared with 36% of voters aged 65 or over. Only 5% of graduates voted for Reform UK, compared with 25% of those with less than one A-level. While a record 60% of those surveyed said the electoral system should be changed to allow smaller political parties to get their 'fair share' of MPs, just 36% said the status quo should be maintained 'to produce effective government'. For the first time a majority of supporters of all political parties said they backed electoral reform, with as much as 90% of Green supporters and 78% of Reform voters confirming this position. In another first, more than half of respondents said they would prefer a coalition government, compared with 41% who opted for a single party in power. Commenting on the findings, Alex Scholes, research director at NatCen, said: 'The 2024 election highlighted significant challenges to Britain's traditional two-party system and the result has yet to restore public trust and confidence. 'With voter trust at an all-time low and a growing support for electoral reform, the political landscape is poised for potential transformation. 'Whether this will lead to substantive changes in how the country is governed remains to be seen.' The survey also found a record 26% of participants said they are struggling to live on their current income, up from 16% before the pandemic. The proportion who said they are living comfortably has also fallen over the same period from 50% to a record low of 35%. With Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer facing a backlash from some Labour MPs over proposals to reform the welfare system which are expected to save up to £5 billion a year, support for more spending on disability benefits fell to a record low of 45%, down 22 points since 2017. Just over a quarter of respondents (29%) said it is too easy for people to claim and receive disability benefits, while the same proportion said it is too difficult. However, just 11% said spending on disability benefits should be cut. The survey also found 69% believe the economy is worse off as a result of leaving the European Union. Within the backdrop of Labour pledging a significant uplift in the delivery of new homes as a key element of its bid to boost economic growth, the proportion of people who support more homes in their local area has fallen from 57% in 2018 to 41% now. Meanwhile, a third are opposed, up from 23% in 2018. Sir John Curtice, senior research fellow at NatCen, said voters are aware of the challenges but not 'necessarily ready to back the various remedies that Labour have been offering to overcome the country's difficulties'. He added: 'They are not necessarily prepared to embrace a dash for more infrastructure building, including perhaps not least anything that appears in their own backyard. 'Tightening up on disability benefits is potentially controversial too, as the Government has already discovered. 'The political difficulty with these policies is there are potentially identifiable winners and losers, and it is often the losers who shout the loudest. 'Pursuing economic growth rather than tax rises as the route out of fiscal constraint will not necessarily be the easier path for Labour to tread.' The British Social Attitudes survey has been conducted annually since 1983. The latest survey consisted of 4,120 interviews with a 'representative, random sample' of adults in the UK and was conducted between September 16 and October 27 2024.
South Wales Guardian
20 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Survey ‘suggests political system poised for potential transformation'
The findings of a new survey also show there is a clear appetite for electoral reform, with a record number backing changes to allow smaller political parties 'to get a fairer share of MPs', the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) said. NatCen, which published the latest chapter of the British Social Attitudes (BSA) report on Wednesday, said that before the recent rise in the popularity of Reform UK, significant questions about the future of two-party politics were raised by the outcome of the 2024 general election. The election did not improve low levels of trust and confidence in how the country is governed, researchers found, with a record low of 19% of the public saying the system needs little or no improvement before the election repeated in the latest survey. In addition, just 12% of those surveyed said they trust governments to put the country's interest before their party's interests 'just about always' or 'most of the time'. This is a smaller percentage than the previous record lowest level of 14% registered in 2023, while NatCen said high levels of dissatisfaction with the NHS, the economy and Brexit continue to undermine public trust and confidence. Meanwhile, amid diminishing class-based support for the two main parties, age and education are now viewed as more important factors. Labour failed to reconnect with its traditional working class base during the election campaign, continuing a trend that emerged in 2019, the survey suggests. Just 30% of those in what NatCen describes as 'semi-routine and routine occupations' voted Labour, compared with 42% of people in professional and managerial jobs. The survey showed age and education are now the 'principal dividing line in British politics', demonstrated by only 6% of 18 to 24-year-olds of those surveyed voting Conservative, compared with 36% of voters aged 65 or over. Only 5% of graduates voted for Reform UK, compared with 25% of those with less than one A-level. While a record 60% of those surveyed said the electoral system should be changed to allow smaller political parties to get their 'fair share' of MPs, just 36% said the status quo should be maintained 'to produce effective government'. For the first time a majority of supporters of all political parties said they backed electoral reform, with as much as 90% of Green supporters and 78% of Reform voters confirming this position. In another first, more than half of respondents said they would prefer a coalition government, compared with 41% who opted for a single party in power. Commenting on the findings, Alex Scholes, research director at NatCen, said: 'The 2024 election highlighted significant challenges to Britain's traditional two-party system and the result has yet to restore public trust and confidence. 'With voter trust at an all-time low and a growing support for electoral reform, the political landscape is poised for potential transformation. 'Whether this will lead to substantive changes in how the country is governed remains to be seen.' The survey also found a record 26% of participants said they are struggling to live on their current income, up from 16% before the pandemic. The proportion who said they are living comfortably has also fallen over the same period from 50% to a record low of 35%. With Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer facing a backlash from some Labour MPs over proposals to reform the welfare system which are expected to save up to £5 billion a year, support for more spending on disability benefits fell to a record low of 45%, down 22 points since 2017. Just over a quarter of respondents (29%) said it is too easy for people to claim and receive disability benefits, while the same proportion said it is too difficult. However, just 11% said spending on disability benefits should be cut. The survey also found 69% believe the economy is worse off as a result of leaving the European Union. Within the backdrop of Labour pledging a significant uplift in the delivery of new homes as a key element of its bid to boost economic growth, the proportion of people who support more homes in their local area has fallen from 57% in 2018 to 41% now. Meanwhile, a third are opposed, up from 23% in 2018. Sir John Curtice, senior research fellow at NatCen, said voters are aware of the challenges but not 'necessarily ready to back the various remedies that Labour have been offering to overcome the country's difficulties'. He added: 'They are not necessarily prepared to embrace a dash for more infrastructure building, including perhaps not least anything that appears in their own backyard. 'Tightening up on disability benefits is potentially controversial too, as the Government has already discovered. 'The political difficulty with these policies is there are potentially identifiable winners and losers, and it is often the losers who shout the loudest. 'Pursuing economic growth rather than tax rises as the route out of fiscal constraint will not necessarily be the easier path for Labour to tread.' The British Social Attitudes survey has been conducted annually since 1983. The latest survey consisted of 4,120 interviews with a 'representative, random sample' of adults in the UK and was conducted between September 16 and October 27 2024.
