Andy Burnham has stated he will support sweeping changes to the electoral system to make politics "less point-scoring, more problem-solving" if he becomes prime minister. The Greater Manchester mayor, who is standing in the Makerfield byelection on 18 June, has previously advocated for proportional representation (PR) for UK general elections, which would empower minority parties such as the Greens.
Commitment to Reform
In an interview with BBC Radio Manchester on Thursday, Burnham gave his clearest commitment yet to electoral reform. He expressed belief in "a different type of politics – a politics that is more place first rather than party first," adding: "Where you can work with others, you do that. I do think there needs to be reform to the electoral system to enable less point-scoring, more problem-solving – that's what I think we need. Less short term, more long term."
Burnham did not specify when he would like these changes to be introduced or whether he would commit to starting the process if he becomes prime minister this year. One party that would benefit significantly from electoral reform is the Greens, which has reportedly considered scaling back its Makerfield campaign if Burnham's team commits to PR.
Criticism and Support
Critics of proportional representation argue it could lead to chaotic government with unstable coalitions and difficulty passing legislation. However, Burnham has long contended that Britain suffers from overcentralised, London-centric governance, where two parties dominate at the expense of many UK nations and regions.
Burnham also used the interview to distance himself from claims he would immediately seek to rejoin the EU. While maintaining his previous stance that he would like the UK to rejoin "in my lifetime," he said: "The country has to fix itself and we have to get to the heart of some of these fundamentals that don't work for people and that has got to be our relentless priority in the next five or 10 years before we then worry about our relationship with other places."
High-Stakes Byelection
Burnham faces a tough challenge from Nigel Farage's Reform UK in what is considered one of the most consequential byelections in recent decades. The former Leigh MP, first elected to parliament 25 years ago and twice an unsuccessful Labour leadership candidate, said his nine years as Greater Manchester mayor shaped his vision for changing the UK.
"I really believe that politics in this country is at a moment where we either change it or it really becomes quite broken and people lose faith completely and that's a dangerous place for the country to get," he told BBC Radio Manchester. "I think part of the problem is … the whole system down there [in Westminster has] … not been run for our part of the world. Politics is made for other people in other places and not been wired for these parts of the world – and that's what I'm in this to change. If politics doesn't change in this country I don't know where we will end up in a few years time."
He described his leadership bid as an attempt to "change Labour" and return it to "the party people perhaps once knew when they were younger, solidly on the side of working-class people and working-class communities."
