Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to face an immediate challenge regarding electoral reform in his first week in parliament. Nearly 100 Labour MPs are supporting a proposal for a new national commission to investigate replacing the first past the post voting system.
Burnham, who has long advocated for electoral reform, will be urged to support this commission within his initial 100 days as prime minister. MPs are aiming for the commission to report before the next general election, with the goal of including electoral reform in Labour's subsequent manifesto.
Number 10 has stated that Mr Burnham remains committed to electoral reform in Labour's next manifesto, but has not yet endorsed the new commission. An amendment to launch the commission has garnered support from 185 MPs across eight parties, including 98 Labour signatories and former ministers.
This amendment has been tabled for the representation of the people bill, which is due to return to parliament on 2 September. A Labour source indicated that the bill's priority is to deliver manifesto commitments on votes at 16 and strengthen political donation rules.
New polling by YouGov suggests that 53% of MPs support a review into the current first past the post system. Labour MP Alex Sobel, who tabled the amendment, stated that a majority of MPs, including Labour MPs, now back the proposal.