Lancaster district residents to shine light on proportional representation

The ‘Shine a Light on PR’ National Day of Action is being organised by Make Votes Matter, a cross-party campaign advocating Proportional Representation (PR) for House of Commons elections.

People around the country will be running torchlit street stalls, sending sparkly Christmas cards to MPs and lighting up PR campaign messages to demand a fairer democracy in which all votes count equally.

Local group Make Votes Matter North Lancashire will be holding a street stall in Market Square, Lancaster, near Lancaster Library and the City Museum, from 11am until 3pm.

Members of the public will be able to sign a giant Christmas card to show support for Proportional Representation for House of Commons elections.

It is one of many events being held across the country in what is set to be a mass mobilisation of support for Proportional Representation.

The group will also be inviting the public to sign a petition to change the current voting system, which denies millions of people a voice in Parliament, forces millions more to vote tactically, and distorts the will of the British people. 

Jo Stocking, who is taking part in the action, said: ‘I’m getting involved because I believe everyone’s vote should count equally. The current system means that most votes have no effect on the results, so Parliament ends up not reflecting what people actually wanted. No wonder people don’t bother voting.

"The UK is one of the few developed economies that still hasn’t changed to Proportional Representation - it’s time for a fairer voting system in this country fit for the 21st century.’

Make Votes Matter North Lancashire, which started in May 2021, now holds regular meetings and is planning a series of campaign events for 2022 across north Lancashire and south Cumbria. Contact the group organisers at [email protected] for more details.