Campaigners calling for electoral reform have met with MP Tim Farron to explain why they want change.
The North West group for Make Votes Matter handed over hundreds of postcards to the Liberal Democrat MP from the public calling for the current first-past-the-post system to change to proportional representation.
The meeting was part of ‘Operation Postcard’ – a national campaign where people across the UK have written postcards to tell their MP why they want a change to a proportional voting system to elect Parliament.
The campaign group have run a series of street stalls in Morecambe, Lancaster, Kendal and Bowness over recent months, inviting members of the public to join the operation and fill in a postcard.
Constituents of Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, Lancaster Labour MP Cat Smith and Morecambe and Lunesdale Conservative MP David Morris wrote the most cards, and the three MPs were all invited to receive the handwritten messages in person.
Tim Farron, who supports proportional representation, agreed to receive his postcards in person. He said: “Our out-of-date and unfair voting system is part of the reason many people are disengaged with politics – they feel like their vote doesn’t matter.
“That’s why I’m proud to back the Make Votes Matter campaign and will continue to argue in Parliament in favour of the UK having a proportional representation. This week, in fact, I am putting down an amendment to the Government’s Levelling Up Bill to give local councils the power to adopt PR for local elections.”
