Make My Vote Count

The campaign for voter choice and a more representative parliament

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about us

Make Votes Count is the coalition that campaigns for referendum on a more representative voting system. It has brought together all the organisations campaigning for reform, these are:  Christian Socialist Movement, Conservative Action for Electoral Reform, Electoral Reform Society, Fawcett Society, Green Party, Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Unlock Democracy (incorporating Charter88) and  X-Change. Make Votes Count also has over ten thousand individual supporters.

Our goal is to reform the House of Commons with a voting system that balances the principles of:

  • Broad proportionality
  • Stable government
  • Extending voter choice
  • Maintaining a constituency link.

These principles would be met by the AV+ voting system recommended by the Jenkins Commission. But Make Votes Count will campaign for a yes vote in a referendum on any system that advances these criteria.

Make Votes Count supports voting reform in order to achieve a more inclusive, pluralist and empowering political culture - in other words to restore trust in politics.

The introduction of new voting systems for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, the Greater London Assembly, the Northern Ireland Assembly and for the elections to the European Parliament have led to more representative assemblies and exposed the primitive nature of the first- past-the-post voting system used in Parliamentary elections.

What We Are Calling For:

Make Votes Count believes it should be an enshrined right for your vote to stand a reasonable chance of affecting the outcome of an election. We urgently need a better electoral system that enourages parties to compete for votes in all consitituencies, and gives voters a stronger stake in our political system, no matter where they live. People need to feel that their vote counts and that they are being listened to. A more proportional voting system would shake up politics and help:

•Make politicians more accountable

•Make political parties take you more seriously and compete to get your vote

•Give you greater choice at the ballot box

•Make your vote really count at elections

•Modernise our democracy.

Who We Are

Make Votes Count's officers are:  Chris Huhne (Chair) and Ben Stoneham (Treasurer).  Rt Hon Robin Cook MP was MVC President until his untimely death in July 2005.

The directors of Make Votes Count are:  Chris Huhne MP, Ben Stoneham, Richard Burden MP, Ed Davey MP, Peter Facey (Unlock Democracy), Jean Lambert MEP (Greens), Martin Linton MP, Lord Rennard, Ken Ritchie (Electoral Reform Society),  Neil Sherlock, Mary Southcott (Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform), Stephen Twigg and Lord Tyler.

Make Votes Count was established in 1998. Initially funded by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, MVC is now dependent on the generosity of individual supporters and partner organisations.

Contact Us

Make Votes Count
6 Chancel Street
London
SE1 0UU


tel: 020 7928 2076

Make Votes Count is a not-for-profit company
Registered Office: Langwood House, 63-81 High Street, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 1EQ. Registered in England and Wales no. 3476281.