An East Devon MP is calling for what he describes as a 'fairer' voting system.
Richard Foord, MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, made the case for electoral reform during a parliamentary debate, criticising the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system as outdated and unrepresentative.
Mr Foord said: "The general election of 2024 was the most disproportionate in modern British history.
"Turnout was the second lowest since records began in 1885.
"Less than 60 per cent of the electorate cast a vote."
He argued that FPTP distorts democracy and fails to reflect the true will of the people.
He said: "First past the post is unfair and unrepresentative, and it undermines the legitimacy of our elections.
"I urge the government not to prolong the disenchantment, the apathy and the hopelessness."
He highlighted the Labour government’s large parliamentary majority despite winning only a third of the popular vote.
Mr Foord argued that this translated into "two-thirds of the seats in the House of Commons, and three-thirds of the levers of power."
He said: "People are fed up with being told to vote for the lesser evil."
Proportional representation would allocate seats more closely in line with the percentage of votes cast, according to Mr Foord.
He pointed out that the UK is now almost alone in Europe in using FPTP to elect its parliament, with only Belarus sharing the system.
Mr Foord called the Representation of the People Bill a critical opportunity for reform.
He added: "The Representation of the People Bill is this government’s opportunity to get it right."
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