Another union agrees to back PR

The 360,000-strong retail and distribution union, Usdaw, has become the latest union to back proportional representation (PR) for Westminster elections.

Delegates at this year’s annual conference passed a motion to “support the introduction of a form of proportional representation for general elections, to protect and improve representative democracy in the UK”.

This marks a change from Usdaw’s position at the 2022 Labour conference, where it did not join the (successful) vote to include PR in the next Labour manifesto.

And it follows public services union UNISON, general union Unite, rail unions ASLEF and TSSA, the Fire Brigades Union, the CWU communications union and the Musicians’ Union in supporting PR for Westminster elections.

Describing himself as “a recent convert to PR”, Usdaw deputy general secretary Dave McCrossen said that “vast areas of the UK are virtually uncontested whenever the country goes to the polls.

“A small minority of voters in a handful of marginal seats effectively decide who governs us all.

“That’s why it’s not enough to just kick the Tories out of office. We also need to change the system that has unfairly kept them there for far too long.”

He added: “Never again should they be allowed to become comfortable at the expense of working people.”