CAMPAIGNERS aiming to change the voting system have taken part in a nationwide day of action.

North West Make Votes Matter supporters took part in the action day on Saturday.

Members of the group, part of the UK cross-party movement advocating to change the first past the post voting system to proportional representation (PR), also united to post their individual Christmas cards to their MP highlighting the need for a change to PR.

They posted their cards one year on from the general election where, they say, seven out of 10 votes cast by the UK population ‘didn’t matter’.

Warrington Make Votes Matter supporter Andy Watson said: “First past the post fails on so many points.

“Your vote counts more by living in a marginal constituency, as opposed to living in a safe constituency.

“It should be pointed out that those countries that use PR achieve better outcomes in areas such as income equality, gender equality and action on the big global issues like climate change.

“Studies have also found that established democracies with systems of PR tend to have significantly less involvement in armed conflict.

“My hope is that the December 2020 action day sends a clear message to our MPs that electoral reform is not just some issue on the periphery.

“Very simply, until we get equal votes, this issue is not going away.”

Emma Knaggs, grassroots leader at Make Votes Matter, also shared her views.

She said: “The extreme polarisation and fractious debate within our communities and politics ultimately fails to serve the UK’s best interests – for that we need a truly representative Parliament.

“Creating a better society for British people, in which genuinely representative, informed and deliberative democracy can thrive, is at the heart of the campaign to win PR.

“This is all too obvious in the UK’s response to the pandemic and it’s beyond urgent that change comes soon.”

For more information on the Warrington Make Votes Matter group e-mail mvm-manchester@outlook.com.