On 11th December, Make Votes Matter supporters across the country joined in the final action day of 2021. The theme this time was “Shine a Light on PR” and our activists really stepped up to the challenge.

Sparklers, candles and festive fairy lights were all pressed into action to highlight the increasing call for Proportional Representation. It could be argued that democracy in the UK is heading further into darkness, considering the content of the Elections Bill making its way through Parliament. In preparation for our protest against that Bill in February, our supporters braved the cold and rain to #ShineALight on PR.

Local groups from Yorkshire and Lancashire to Devon and Cambridgeshire, not forgetting in the capital, all took to the streets to talk about changing the voting system. By having conversations with citizens, our groups work very hard and play a crucial role in raising the profile of Make Votes Matter at a local level. Major democratic change will not be achieved without widespread public support and our grassroots activists are at the very heart of this effort. They even made it into the press, with MVM North Lancashire and MVM East London getting coverage in their local papers.

This year also saw the launch of our first Make Votes Matter Christmas card, beautifully designed by our supporter Jess, aged 8. Lots of you took the opportunity to send Christmas wishes to your MP as well as encouraging them to support our campaign.

A huge thank you to everyone who got involved with our action days in 2021. We’re really looking forward to the new year, with its new challenges and opportunities to Shine a Light on PR.