Lib Dem leadership contender Layla Moran pledges to push for electoral reform

Liberal Democrat leadership candidate Layla Moran has promised a drive to unite opposition parties behind reform of the UK’s “broken” first-past-the-post voting system if she is elected on Thursday.

Writing in The Independent, Ms Moran vowed to write to all opposition party leaders within 100 days of taking office to urge them to commit to electoral reform and proportional representation (PR) at Westminster.

She said cross-party working by opposition parties was “vital” not only on electoral reform, but also on issues like Boris Johnson’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis.

Denouncing the current voting system for delivering a House of Commons way out of line with the balance of votes cast in last December’s election, Ms Moran said first-past-the-post unfairly favours the two major parties and reduces accountability.

Support for PR has been a central plank of every Liberal Democrat manifesto since the party was established.

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