Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a commission on electoral reform during his Labour party conference speech. This announcement reportedly surprised some attendees, with some admitting to tears.
Mr Burnham's support for proportional representation has been described as unusual for a Labour politician. He attributes this stance to his experience winning an election as Mayor of Greater Manchester using a supplementary votes system, where voters choose first and second-preference candidates.
He questioned on the Today programme, "Can we really watch a party with less than 30% walk into Downing Street?" Public attitudes towards proportional representation have significantly changed, with support reaching 60% last year, compared to 27% in 2011.