Proposed by Councillor Brandt, seconded by Councillor Simmons

 Green member motion

This Council believes that a parliament which more accurately reflects the views of the nation, enabling people to feel that their votes count, is more likely to develop an economic, social and environmental agenda that benefits Oxford’s residents.

Furthermore, Council recognises that a robust democracy must include a fair voting system and that nobody should be disenfranchised because of where they live.

Following the recent general election, this Council agrees that the 'First Past the Post' voting system:

1.    has again failed to live up to its reputation to provide strong and stable government;

2.    has again yielded a wildly disproportionate allocation of seats with, for example, the Democratic Unionist Party gaining 10 seats from 292,316 votes compared with 12 seats from 2.4 million votes for the Liberal Democrats;

3.    has spectacularly failed to match votes to seats with 27,930 votes required to elect one MP from the Scottish National Party compared with 525,371 votes to elect one Green Party MP, thus rendering some people with more valuable votes than others.

This Council:

1.    applauds the many groups and organisations campaigning for fair votes including the Electoral Reform Society, Make Votes Matter, the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform [1] and Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform.

2.    notes that the Single Transferable Vote system is already used for local elections in Scotland and in both Northern Irish local elections and the Northern Ireland Assembly while proportional electoral systems are used to elect the devolved parliaments and assemblies in Scotland, Wales and London.

This Council therefore:

1.     calls for the introduction of a proportional voting system for local elections in England and Wales;

2.     calls on the Leader of the Council to send a copy of this motion to Oxford’s two MPs as well as to the Leaders of all political parties represented in the UK Parliament.

[1] The Labour Campaign for Elector Reform in 2017 published The Many, Not the Few – Proportional Representation and Labour in the 21st Century, which states 76% of Labour voters are committed to changing to PR and 5% are against.

Councillor Brandt proposed her submitted motion as set out in the briefing note, seconded by Councillor Simmons.

Councillor Gant proposed the amendment submitted by Councillor Wade as set out in the briefing note; Councillor Altaf-Khan seconded the amendment.

Council debated the motion and the amendment.

Council, after motions to suspend the relevant standing orders were moved, seconded and agreed, voted on the submitted amendment in 3 parts as detailed below:

2a)    calls for District and City Councils to be given the power to introduce a system of their own choosing; and

2b)    for Oxford City Council to introduce a proportional system; and

3)      calls for the franchise to be extended to sixteen and seventeen year olds, which would recognize the growing political awareness of this demographic – 1.5 million people nationwide.

Council agreed to amend the motion to remove parts 2a) and 2b) and to add part 3).

Council, after motions to suspend the relevant standing orders were moved, seconded and agreed, then voted on the amended motion in two parts:

1)    calls for the introduction of a proportional voting system for local elections in England and Wales; and

2)    calls for the franchise to be extended to sixteen and seventeen year olds, which would recognize the growing political awareness of this demographic – 1.5 million people nationwide; and

3)    calls on the Leader of the Council to send a copy of this motion to Oxford’s two MPs as well as to the Leaders of all political parties represented in the UK Parliament. 

Council agreed to amend the motion to remove part 1) and to retain parts 2) and 3).

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

This Council believes that a parliament which more accurately reflects the views of the nation, enabling people to feel that their votes count, is more likely to develop an economic, social and environmental agenda that benefits Oxford’s residents.

Furthermore, Council recognises that a robust democracy must include a fair voting system and that nobody should be disenfranchised because of where they live.

Following the recent general election, this Council agrees that the 'First Past the Post' voting system:

1.    has again failed to live up to its reputation to provide strong and stable government;

2.    has again yielded a wildly disproportionate allocation of seats with, for example, the Democratic Unionist Party gaining 10 seats from 292,316 votes compared with 12 seats from 2.4 million votes for the Liberal Democrats;

3.    has spectacularly failed to match votes to seats with 27,930 votes required to elect one MP from the Scottish National Party compared with 525,371 votes to elect one Green Party MP, thus rendering some people with more valuable votes than others.

This Council:

1.      applauds the many groups and organisations campaigning for fair votes including the Electoral Reform Society, Make Votes Matter, the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform [1] and Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform.

2.      notes that the Single Transferable Vote system is already used for local elections in Scotland and in both Northern Irish local elections and the Northern Ireland Assembly while proportional electoral systems are used to elect the devolved parliaments and assemblies in Scotland, Wales and London.

This Council therefore:

1.            calls for the franchise to be extended to sixteen and seventeen year olds, which would recognize the growing political awareness of this demographic – 1.5 million people nationwide

2.            calls on the Leader of the Council to send a copy of this motion to Oxford’s two MPs as well as to the Leaders of all political parties represented in the UK Parliament.