LEDBURY'S MP has called for a 'fairer' voting system after thousands of her constituents signed a petition calling for a general election.
Ellie Chowns said she is not surprised to see many people are unhappy with the current Labour government, with a petition calling for a general election being signed by 2,700,000 people across the country.
Just over 4,300 people in North Herefordshire, around 3.852 per cent of the total population, signed the petition.
Dr Chowns is now the vice chair for the new all-party parliamentary group for fair elections, which launched this week, and is leading calls for a proportional voting system rather than a general election.
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She said the 'unfair' first-past-the-post electoral system is partly to blame for the dissatisfaction, as Labour currently holds 63 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons despite winning 33 per cent of the votes.
Dr Chowns told the Reporter: "I am not surprised to see that many people are unhappy with the Labour Government. Because of our unfair first past the post electoral system, Labour has a huge majority of 63 per cent of seats having won just 33 per cent of votes overall.
"So, more than another general election, I believe it is time we finally have a fair and proportional voting system so that Parliament properly represents the views of the nation, and MPs from across different parties work together in the best interests of the country.
"I will keep making this case in Parliament, and I hope the new all-party parliamentary group for fair elections launching this week – and of which I am proud to be vice chair – will build cross-party support for that fairer and more proportionate system."
Labour has been slammed for its recent decisions in the budget, including rises to national insurance and extension of inheritance tax to include farms.
The petition claimed the government has gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead-up to the last election, which saw Labour sweep the Conservatives out of power in a landslide win.
Speaking to the House of Commons, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the country already had a massive petition on July 4- the general election.
He added: "We spent years taking our party from a party of protest to a party of government, the Conservatives are hurtling in the opposite direction."
Mr Starmer has previously said he has a 'longstanding view' against proportional representation.
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