Replace First-past-the-post with proportional system – Cruddas

First-past-the-post “corrupts” democracy and should be replaced by a proportional system, Labour’s policy chief has said.

Jon Cruddas said his experience in Parliament had convinced him that the electoral system prioritised marginal voters to the detriment of the majority of the electorate.

Speaking on a programme on democracy in the UK, broadcast by Radio 4, the Labour MP said: “I used to be in favour of first-past-the-post, but my experience as an MP has changed my views into very much more support of a more proportional system because the whole system is geared to the preferences and prejudices of a swing group of marginal voters in marginal seats.

“It sort of corrupts the character of our representative democracy so it becomes less representative and less democratic.”