Make Votes Count

Make Votes Count
Name	Make Votes Count
Formation	2016
Type	Advocacy group
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom

Make Votes Count is a United Kingdom-based campaign coalition advocating electoral reform, principally the adoption of proportional representation for elections to the House of Commons. Founded amid debates sparked by the 2015 and 2017 United Kingdom general elections, the coalition has sought to align electoral outcomes with voting shares through public petitions, strategic engagement with political parties, and media outreach. Make Votes Count operates within a landscape involving established parties and reform groups and engages with figures and institutions across British and international politics.

History

Make Votes Count emerged in the aftermath of the 2015 United Kingdom general election and the 2016 European Union referendum, periods when media outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, and Financial Times intensified scrutiny of the First Past the Post electoral system. Early organisers drew inspiration from earlier reform efforts including Electoral Reform Society, FairVote, Make Votes Count (2015–?) movements, and campaigns surrounding the 2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum. The coalition gained visibility during the 2017 United Kingdom general election, paralleling activity by parties such as the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party of England and Wales, and Scottish National Party. Make Votes Count coordinated with think tanks like the Institute for Public Policy Research, Policy Exchange, and Democracy Fund-aligned groups while responding to commentary by public figures including David Cameron, Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May, Jo Swinson, and Nigel Farage.

Campaign Goals and Policies

Make Votes Count's primary policy objective is the replacement of First Past the Post with a proportional voting system for House of Commons elections, citing models such as Single Transferable Vote, Mixed-Member Proportional Representation, and variations used in jurisdictions like Germany, New Zealand, Scotland, and Ireland. The campaign promotes reforms it argues would better reflect party vote shares and increase accountability, referencing comparative outcomes in the European Parliament election, Scottish Parliament election, and Welsh Senedd election. It frames its goals alongside commitments to democratic legitimacy espoused by institutions including United Nations, Council of Europe, and scholars affiliated with Oxford University, London School of Economics, and Cambridge University.

Make Votes Count advocates procedural changes such as independent boundary reviews by bodies like the Boundary Commission for England and statutory mechanisms for implementation akin to constitutional reform processes debated in connection with the House of Lords Reform and proposals following the 2011 Alternative Vote referendum. The campaign situates proportional representation within debates involving devolution arrangements for Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and discussions about turnout trends in elections to bodies like the European Parliament.

Methods and Activities

Make Votes Count uses advocacy tactics common to modern civil society coalitions: mass petitions, targeted advertising, research reports, and coalition-building with organisations such as the Electoral Reform Society, Unlock Democracy, and grassroots groups. It organises public rallies and digital campaigns that draw coverage from outlets including Channel 4, Sky News, and newspapers like The Times. The coalition commissions polling by firms such as YouGov and Ipsos MORI and produces briefing documents engaging with parliamentary actors across Westminster Hall debates, select committees, and presentations to MPs from the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats. It has targeted marginal constituencies and coordinated with local activists in areas represented by MPs such as Yvette Cooper, Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband, and Sadiq Khan-aligned networks.

Make Votes Count also engages in strategic litigation preparedness, legal analysis referencing statutory frameworks including the Representation of the People Act 1983, and international comparative law examples from jurisdictions like Germany and New Zealand. The group partners with academics and former electoral commissioners, drawing on expertise from institutions such as the Electoral Commission and legal scholars from King's College London.

Influence and Impact

Make Votes Count has influenced public debate on electoral reform, contributing to parliamentary questions and mentions in votes and committee reports. Its campaigns coincided with policy pronouncements and manifestos from the Liberal Democrats and debates within the Labour Party about adopting proportional systems, while prompting responses from Conservative Party spokespeople. Media analyses in The Guardian, The Independent, and Financial Times have cited its polling and briefings, and think tanks including the Institute for Fiscal Studies have engaged with its arguments. International observers from organisations like the Council of Europe and comparative researchers from Harvard University and Princeton University have noted the UK debate as part of wider trends in electoral reform.

Operationally, Make Votes Count helped coordinate vote-sharing and tactical campaigning discussions during key local and general elections and raised public awareness, contributing to shifts in public opinion as measured by surveys from YouGov and Ipsos MORI. The campaign’s materials have been used in academic curricula at institutions including University College London and cited in parliamentary evidence sessions.

Criticism and Controversy

Critics of Make Votes Count include commentators in The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail, politicians in the Conservative Party and some figures in the Labour Party, and organisations worried about coalition bargaining effects observed in other proportional systems such as Belgium and Italy. Opponents argue that proportional systems can produce fragmented coalitions like those experienced during episodes involving the Weimar Republic or protracted government formations in Belgium and that tactical voting dynamics differ in ways highlighted by analysts at Policy Exchange and Centre for Policy Studies. Some electoral reform sceptics cite administrative concerns related to the Representation of the People Act 1983 and transitional costs referenced by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Make Votes Count has faced scrutiny over campaign funding and tactics from regulatory bodies including the Electoral Commission and critics drawing parallels with past advocacy campaigns involving groups like 38 Degrees and Better Together. Debates continue in Parliament and across media outlets such as BBC Radio 4 and Channel 4 News about the merits and risks of pursuing the changes the coalition seeks.

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom