The new government should use proportional representation along with all-black shortlists for choosing MPs to increase the number of ethnic minority candidates returned to Parliament, according to pressure group Operation Black Vote.
OBV director Simon Woolley told Tribune that voting reform would in itself help ethnic minorities become better represented in the House of Commons, but that if the approach was not “thorough” it risked helping far-right political parties.
The general election has seen more women and ethnic minority MPs elected than ever. Women make up 22 per cent
of the new Parliament and ethnic minorities make up 4 per cent, up from 20 per cent and 2 per cent respectively in 2005. But both sectors are still under-represented as women make up 51 per cent of the British population.
Mr Woolley said: “We should be looking at nearer 70 to be representative but it’s a big jump from 14 to 26 [black MPs], the biggest jump in British history, both numerically
and percentage wise. Democratic reform, particularly PR, will improve the numbers of minority candidates.”
The Fawcett Society’s Nan Sloane said the number of women MPs was “a real disappointment” and also called for government action to make the electoral system fairer to women.
