Open Britain on the Election Results and the End of Two-Party Politics

‘Dear David,

Election results are still coming in, but one thing is clear – Britain is facing a future of electoral chaos, with the public intent on voting for five parties in a system designed for only two.

In those circumstances, the only outcome we can be sure of is that First-Past-The-Post will further undermine trust in British politics.

Last night was a terrible night for both the Conservative party and the Labour Government. The two parties that have dominated British politics for generations appear to be the two biggest losers in yesterday’s local elections.

In some cases, it was close. Reform UK candidate Sarah Pochin beat Labour in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes, one of the closest results in British electoral history. To put that in context, Labour won that seat with a seemingly safe majority (over 14,000) less than a year ago.

In others, it was a blowout. The night started with a serious kicking for Labour when Reform UK claimed a council spot in Throston ward in Hartlepool. But it was the Conservatives who took the biggest beating throughout, being trounced by aggressive campaigns on both the left and right flank.

As Nigel Farage himself put it – echoing quite clearly what I predicted the other night (if I may say) – Reform UK is now the “main opposition.” Of course, he sees this as a good thing, whereas I’ve argued that it would only degrade the quality of our politics to levels previously unthinkable.

Labour have responded with an air of disappointed understanding. Starmer and party chair Ellie Reeves have attempted to explain their poor night by suggesting there just hasn’t been enough time for people to feel the benefits of their ‘change’ agenda. Many voters, however, have said that they HAVE felt the change (especially around cold weather payments and PIP reform)…and they don’t like it.

The magnitude of the political earthquake was so great that it even roused our old friend Jacob Rees-Mogg from his lair, floating into the Radio 4 Today programme studio to advocate for his Brexity mate, Nigel.

“I think we will inevitably do deals with Reform in those councils that are hung between the Conservatives and Reform,” Rees-Mogg said. “I think we need to work together.”

“In terms of policy, there is very little difference between the Conservative party and Reform, it’s basically a matter of personality,” he added. “The only policy I can think of that I disagree with Nigel Farage about is proportional representation, but as his party does better he’ll soon give up believing in that.”

Ironically, he’s speaking of the one policy that could upend the political duopoly of modern Britain – which, like many of Rees-Mogg’s policies of choice – the public is overwhelmingly sick of.

The last General Election was the most multi-party vote we’ve ever seen, and the result was the most disproportionate in history. Today’s elections are a continuation of that trend, and it spells disaster for the public’s faith in democracy.

Our mission, off the back of these results, is two-fold:

• Poke holes in the faux-populism of Nigel Farage, and show that while he might speak to valid grievances, his party fundamentally has nothing to offer Britain that will actually address the crises we’re facing;
• Champion the multi-party politics that Brits clearly want, and make clear that it’s only possible with a proportional electoral system. Make sure you sign our petition for a National Commission on Electoral Reform if you haven’t done so yet.

That’s of course in addition to our existing goals – and those of the APPG for Fair Elections – of getting dark money out of politics and protecting our democracy from harmful political disinformation.

We’re a small team but we punch well above our weight. We’ve built a huge group of MPs and Peers inside Parliament and we’re growing our mass movement outside Parliament.

With that twin-track approach, we are well placed to deliver the change required to ensure politics starts working for ordinary people like us, and not just for the rich and well connected (like Farage!). Days like today remind us why our mission is so important.

LET’S PUT FPTP IN THE BIN

Thank you for your support!

Matt

Matt Gallagher

Communications Officer’

The fact that Rees-Mogg has crawled out of whatever rock he’s been hiding under to give his opinion that there’s precious little difference between the Tories and Reform should be a warning in itself about how toxic Farage’s party are.

Open Britain on Reform’s Victory in Runcorn and Its Implications

‘Dear David,

It’s happened. As Open Britain has predicted for weeks, Reform UK has just won the Parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby – and by just SIX votes.

This is not the news we wanted to hear this Friday morning – especially as it also appears that Reform are also on track to have significant success in the local elections. As we all know, Farage and Tice should rarely be trusted on anything – but they HAVE kept their word on delivering a seismic shift in the British political landscape this morning.

The results from Runcorn (and beyond) should provide a huge wake-up call to both Labour and the Conservatives that ‘politics as usual’ just isn’t cutting it anymore. But more importantly, it must be seen as a crucial reminder of what our decaying democracy can give rise to. Here’s why:

Populism has prevailed

When we visited Runcorn in April, very few of the dozens of Reform voters we spoke to could even name their candidate – now their MP – let alone recall anything about her or how she would improve their lives. Instead, their enthusiasm seemed largely based on the media talking points they had heard from Nigel Farage. They seemed particularly motivated by the issue of immigration and their faith that Reform and Farage would crack down on it.

As it happens, immigration is an issue which has very little direct impact on Runcorn – far less than on most other parts of Britain. It’s clear, then, that this Reform win is not a victory for the people of Runcorn, but for the populist propaganda and lies being pushed by Farage.

Anti-establishment anger

Alongside immigration, it is clear the result in Runcorn is also a rejection of Labour’s current performance. When we spoke to Runcorn voters, their anger and, frankly, hatred for Keir Starmer and his Labour government shone through and was the most prevalent reason given for voting Reform.

This is not how our elections should be decided – a race to the bottom where we vote for the least objectionable candidate or to give the current guy one in the eye. At a time when the established parties are performing poorly in the polls, a system that encourages this simply paves the way for bad actors and the further rise of the far-right.

Low turnout

Whilst the pattern of anti-establishment voting in favour of Reform is deeply concerning, the very low turnout is an equally significant problem. In fact, it could be seen as an even greater problem.

Only 46% of people cast a vote in Runcorn and Helsby. We know that turnout at by-elections is always lower than at general elections, but this level of disengagement in relation to a Parliamentary seat is extremely worrying. Reform have won this seat with the support of just 17% of eligible voters. This is hardly a strong mandate for anything – especially with a majority of just six votes – but they will claim their win is an endorsement of their party’s plans, including on issues of such fundamental importance as Net Zero.

Strong voter turnout is the bedrock of any democracy, and it’s very clear this is on a downward trend in Britain. We must reverse this trend and give people a reason to engage positively with the democratic system.

So what are WE doing?

Open Britain is working hard, every day, to repair the cracks in our democracy.

• We’re fighting back against the far-right and authoritarian populism, exposing the lies of Reform and Farage, and making it clear they are not the solution to the problems with Britain’s democracy.
• We’re reminding people of their democratic rights, and empowering them to use their votes effectively – in all elections.
• We’re putting meaningful pressure on the government to make our elections more representative, to give everyone a voice and make every vote count equally.

Our commitment to fight AGAINST the far-right populists, and FOR your democratic rights, is stronger now than ever before.

The result from Runcorn will set alarm bells ringing across Britain. Those alarm bells will wake more people up to the things OB has been saying for a long time now. We will work hard to ensure as many people as possible hear our message and join our movement. And we’ll continue to be extremely grateful for your support as we do that.

Thank you for standing up to Reform!

All the best,

James Patrick

Campaigns and Content Officer’

Down here in Bristol we had an election for the West of England Combined Authority metro mayor. It had been Dan Norris, who was right-wing Labour. He, however, has been suspended and forced to vacate his seat as he’s being investigated for accusations of rape and child molestation. However, the election was won by the replacement Labour candidate, though Reform came a close second. The Greens were expected to win as they won a parliamentary seat in Bristol a year or so ago, and are also the leading party on Bristol’s council. However, I suspect their chances of winning the election for metro mayor were harmed by the damage they’ve done to Bristol’s traffic system and their plans to pedestrianize Park Street, one of the city’s major shopping and dining areas, in the name of being green and expanding the Clean Air Zone. This has just caused more traffic chaos and Park Street’s businesses are understandably extremely worried about losing trade through pedestrianization.

As with Runcorn, I also expect that the turnout for the metro mayor election here was very low, as the metro mayors probably appear to most people in the Bristol area as remote and far removed from the more their immediate leaders and representatives on their local authorities. As for the new Labour metro mayor herself, she’s acknowledged that she now needs to win over and work with those who voted for her opponents. But I don’t have much optimism. I think she’s another Labour right-winger, like Norris, who will actually do precious little for the region’s constituents. Like giving them a proper, council-controlled bus service that serves all the districts in Bristol and its surroundings rather than just the ones providing First Bus with a very tidy profit.

Open Britain: The Runcorn Election, the Fall of the Two-Party System and Britain’s Broken Politics

‘Dear David,

Tomorrow, voters across England will head to the polls.

Over 1,600 council seats, six mayoralties, and a crucial by-election in Runcorn and Helsby are all in play. It’s the first major challenge for Starmer’s Labour government, an early proving ground for Kemi Badenoch’s leadership of the Conservatives, and the first serious examination of Reform UK’s new political machine in action.

But scanning the landscape of polls and projections, one trend stands out above all:

The real winner looks set to be political distrust and discontent.

Is Two Party Politics On The Way Out?

The dominance of Labour and the Conservatives – unchallenged since the postwar days of Clement Attlee – is eroding fast. We saw the cracks form at the last General Election, which was the least two-party election in British history.

Of course, our First-Past-The-Post voting system produced a massively disproportional result. It didn’t allow for the increased political diversity that Brits want to see.

The two establishment parties are up for another major challenge tomorrow.

In Runcorn and Helsby, a seat that Labour took comfortably last year, Reform UK threatens to sweep up their disillusioned voters.

But it’s not just Farage. The Greens and Liberal Democrats actually look poised to sway twice as many Labour voters as Reform, indicating a wholesale fragmentation of the party’s core support base.

The Conservative vote, meanwhile, is also breaking off in both directions. The party is not only haemorrhaging support over to Reform UK, but also defending even true-blue corners of the country from insurgent Liberal Democrats.

The old party loyalties are crumbling. In their place, we’re seeing a volatile, anti-establishment mood that cuts across traditional political lines.

Voters Want Political Renewal

Yes, the egregious scandals of the Conservative era – and the milder lobbying fiascos of Starmer’s early tenure – have undeniably fuelled public anger. But something deeper is driving this charged political moment: a sense of national decline, political stagnation, and institutional failure.

If people have taken one resounding message from Westminster in recent years, it’s that politicians don’t care about them. We’ve shown previously that Brits associate politicians primarily with corruption and self-service. Trust in politics has fallen off a cliff, and continues to trend down.

As a result, voters increasingly want something bigger than a reshuffle. They want renewal, and they don’t believe the status quo parties can deliver it.

The System Is Broken. Voters Know It.

Amid all this flux, one thing remains depressingly stable: Britain’s broken electoral system. First-Past-The-Post politics simply isn’t built for the kind of political diversity that voters want. It locks in two-party dominance, even as voters try to break free of it.

That’s the quiet tragedy of this moment. The appetite for change is real, deep, and growing. But the system institutionally sidelines alternative voices.

Instead, it threatens to create a new (and, in my view, even worse) two party dynamic with Reform UK occupying the right flank of UK politics. That means more toxic rhetoric, more juvenile mud-slinging, and more two-way competitions for tiny slivers of the electorate.

Those of us outside swing-seats will continue to be sidelined. And the real issues that people care about – whether it’s their bills or the climate or their stagnant wages – will take a backseat to Reform’s hysteria and distractions.

Tomorrow’s results look set to confirm it: Britain wants a different politics. The question is whether we can rebuild our democratic system to accommodate it.

Our purpose now is to mobilise our government into doing just that. We’ve given them the way forward – create a National Commission for Electoral Reform (NCER).

In the wake of these elections, we’ll be ramping up our calls for Starmer to get on it.

17,000 people are behind us.

Have you added your name?

📢 PETITION: Establish a National Commission on Electoral Reform! 📢

All the best,

Matt

Matt Gallagher

Communications Officer

Open Britain’

I’ve signed the petition and I do believe that constitutional reform to make this country truly democratic is urgently needed. Young people have lost so much faith in democracy that a majority think only a dictatorship will bring the change this country needs and deserves. But I doubt there will ever be any such commission because Starmer, the Conservatives and Reform are authoritarian anti-democrats who care only for what the elite super rich want.