Democracy That Delivers

What Britain Must Learn from America’s Local Revolt

Britain’s democracy is visibly malfunctioning. A government elected with just over a third of the vote now holds almost two-thirds of the seats in Parliament. Meanwhile, millions of people feel ignored, misrepresented, or completely shut out of decisions that affect their lives.

The result? A political system that delivers neither fairness nor results. Our public services are under strain, wages have stagnated, housing has become unaffordable, and major long-term challenges - from climate to social care - are kicked down the road, Parliament after Parliament.

This isn’t just frustrating. It’s dangerous. Disillusionment is the fuel populists feed on. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK continues to position itself as the voice of the unheard, tapping into people’s deep, justified sense that politics isn’t working. If those of us who believe in democracy don’t respond with urgency and clarity, others will fill the vacuum - with simpler, more divisive answers.

But the good news is this: around the world, we’re seeing what real democratic pushback can look like. And it’s not coming from national elites. It’s bubbling up from local communities, using elections to fight back against extremism, economic failure, and the politics of resentment. And it’s working.

Take Wisconsin, a state that swung narrowly to Biden in 2020. In 2023, it elected Judge Janet Protasiewicz to its state Supreme Court by a margin of over 11 points - an earthquake in American political terms. Her campaign connected democratic principles to concrete outcomes: the right to reproductive healthcare, an end to gerrymandered districts, and fairer state laws. Voters turned out in record numbers because they could see the stakes - and because they believed their vote would make a difference.

And in that same year, there was Jacksonville, Florida. It elected Democrat Donna Deegan as mayor on a promise of “unity over division.” She didn’t run a culture war campaign. She promised practical change - better infrastructure, fairer economic policies, improved healthcare access. Even in a state moving steadily rightward, her message of competence and compassion won.

That lesson was reinforced again this week, when Wisconsin voters delivered another landmark result. Democrat-backed Judge Susan Crawford defeated a conservative opponent backed by high-profile donors including Elon Musk, in what became the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. Despite the vast sums of money ranged against her, Crawford’s victory showed that when voters are mobilised around fairness, independence, and accountability, they can overcome even the most powerful interests.

Even Florida’s Panhandle - long considered a Republican stronghold - provided a small measure of hope this week. In a remarkable result, Democrat Gay Valimont made history by flipping Escambia County to the Democratic column for the first time since 1992 during her campaign for Congress. Although she did not win the congressional seat, her performance demonstrated that even in areas thought to be politically immovable, change is possible when voters are given a meaningful choice and a reason to believe their vote counts.

These weren’t abstract, ideological victories. They didn’t rest on idealism alone. They succeeded because they linked democracy to delivery - because they showed people that voting for change could change their lives. And they remind us that when democracy works, it works for everyone - not just those with money, status, or influence.

That’s the lesson Britain urgently needs to learn.

We already know First Past the Post is unfair. But fairness alone won’t win the argument for change. We must now show how proportional representation can deliver - how it can make government more responsive, more stable, and more focused on solving the problems people face every day.

Because under PR, every vote counts equally - wherever you live. That means rural communities no longer ignored. Northern towns no longer taken for granted. And far fewer ‘safe seats’ providing cushy jobs for life for the lucky few.

Under PR, governments are forced to work constuctively with all our representatives - not posture for headlines. That means more consistent policy, less lurching between extremes, and a better chance of tackling long-term issues like housing, the NHS, and economic renewal.

And crucially, under PR, voters get more say in what their government actually looks like. No more false majorities. No more minority rule. Just honest representation - and greater trust in the outcome.

Some say this would lead to chaos. But the evidence says otherwise. Countries with PR - like Germany, Sweden and New Zealand - aren’t in chaos. They’re generally better governed, more resilient, and more trusted by their citizens. When New Zealand introduced PR, they saw increased voter satisfaction, more diverse representation, and more stable coalitions capable of delivering meaningful reform. In short: they saw a democracy that works.

And here in the UK, we’re closer to a breakthrough than many realise. Public support for reform is growing. Parties representing over three-quarters of MPs now recognise that First Past the Post undermines trust in politics. Nearly two-thirds of voters say the system should be reformed before the next general election.

But if we’re serious about winning this fight, we need to evolve our message. That means moving beyond process arguments and meeting people where they are on this issue. It means showing how PR can make it easier to buy a home, access a GP, or hold politicians to account. It means confronting the growing appeal of populists like Farage not by dismissing their supporters out of hand, but by offering a better, more honest alternative that many of them would be content to consider.

Because here’s the truth: Farage has had his chance. He promised that Brexit would deliver control, prosperity, and a stronger country. But years later, the reality is painfully clear. Costs have gone up, businesses have closed, trust in politics has plummeted, and the country feels more divided than ever.

Yet somehow, Farage is still treated by many as the answer to problems he helped create. That has to change. Anyone who openly aspires to be Prime Minister in 2029 cannot be given a free ride to the highest political office in the land. It is not enough to rage against the system. Farage must be made to explain - clearly and credibly - what he believes is causing Britain’s problems, what exactly he would do to fix them, and where the inevitable trade-offs would fall. No more vague slogans. No more sweeping promises with no delivery. If he wants power, he should be held to the same standard we would demand of anyone else: tell the truth, show your working, and prove you can deliver.

Because many Reform voters aren’t driven by ideology. They’re driven by frustration, desperation even. They see a political class that listens to insiders and lobbyists, not to them. And they’re right. We need to show that proportional representation isn’t just some dry fix for a broken system but a way of opening the doors of power to those who’ve been shut out for too long.

That’s why Open Britain and the cross-party APPG for Fair Elections are calling for a National Commission on Electoral Reform - bringing together citizens, experts and politicians to design a replacement for First Past the Post that the country can believe in. Done right, this could be the turning point: a chance to bring people together across party lines to fix a system that’s failing us all.

The opportunity is real. The urgency is clear. But it won’t happen by default. It will take a broader, louder, smarter campaign - one that combines the fairness argument with the delivery argument. That shows how positive reform isn’t just about restoring trust in democracy, but about rebuilding faith that politics can solve problems at all.

So let’s learn the lesson from those green shoots across the Atlantic: democratic renewal doesn’t start in Westminster. It starts in communities that demand better - and refuse to settle for less. The next election may be our best - and last - chance to build a democracy that works for everyone.

Let’s not waste it.