Our system is broken. The recent UK general election has starkly illustrated the flaws inherent in the first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system. Labour's sweeping victory, securing 412 seats (as of writing), demonstrates the system's disproportionate nature, especially considering Labour's vote share was lower compared to past elections under leaders like Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair.

The Conservative Party suffered a dramatic loss, dropping to just 121 seats—a reduction of 250 (as of writing). This significant loss can be attributed to the rise of Reform UK, which drew away a substantial portion of Tory votes. Despite this success in vote share, Reform UK only managed to secure 4 seats, highlighting a critical issue with FPTP: substantial public support does not necessarily translate into parliamentary representation. This is also evident with the Green Party, which, despite a significant number of votes, ended up with just 4 seats.

Nigel Farage's Reform UK, despite its success in capturing a significant vote share, was unable to convert this into a proportional number of seats. Farage's ability to galvanise a large section of the electorate speaks volumes about the public's appetite for his brand of politics. However, the FPTP system severely limits the parliamentary representation of parties like Reform UK, which can draw widespread support but not necessarily concentrated in specific constituencies.

Adding to the political turmoil, Rishi Sunak has announced his resignation as Tory leader, triggering a leadership contest within the Conservative Party. This opens the door for potential realignment on the right, with speculation mounting about Nigel Farage's potential defection and bid to take over the Tories. Farage's entry into the leadership race could drastically reshape the party, aligning it more closely with his populist agenda and potentially unifying the right under a new, more dynamic leadership.

This election underscores the urgent need for electoral reform. The current FPTP system fails to represent the political will of the electorate. It is time to consider a more proportional voting system that ensures all votes contribute to the final outcome, reflecting the diverse political landscape of the UK more fairly and equitably.