Thank you for contacting me about the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system.

I believe it is right to move mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections to the FPTP system. Currently, these elections are carried out under the Supplementary Vote system. Supplementary Vote can cause confusion for some voters, leading to a higher number of spoilt and rejected ballots, as was highlighted in the Electoral Commission’s recent review of the May 2021 elections. Here in Greater Manchester, there were over 11,000 rejected ballots in the recent mayoral election, 1.6% of the overall number of ballots cast. In the 2017 general election, which was conducted under FPTP, only 0.2% of ballots across the UK were rejected.

Moreover, Supplementary Vote is a similar voting system, underpinned by similar principles, to the Alternative Vote system that was resoundingly rejected by the British people in the 2011 AV referendum. That referendum demonstrated the public’s confidence in our long-established FPTP system, and therefore I support its use in local and national elections.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.