Today marks 200 years since one of the first battles for the vote – the Peterloo Massacre. It’s a good day to discuss how our political structures need to change today.
We may now have universal suffrage, but with Westminster's broken first past the post voting system not every vote is equal. The 2017 election saw 68% of voters fail to make a difference to the result – and one in five felt forced to vote ‘tactically’ – holding their noses at the ballot box.
The majority of parliamentarians are still unelected, with around 800 Lords compared to just 650 elected MPs; and with women making up only 32% of MPs, Westminster remains one of the worst offenders when it comes to diversity.
The events of 2019 have put the problems of Westminster’s system into sharp focus. Just like in 1819, Westminster's political system has failed to keep up with a changing country.
Read and share our article on how broken Westminster is today.
