Last Monday, Make Votes Matter held the PR Alliance Building Conference in Westminster. Politicians from seven parties came together to form an alliance to introduce PR by 2021. Speakers like Chuka Umunna and Natalie Bennett made impassioned cases for changing to a fair, democratic voting system. It was a great day, and although there are huge challenges ahead, there was a sense of real optimism that the time is now and real commitment to seeing through the reforms we badly need. Here is some press coverage of the day: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/feb/08/mps-activists-hold-conference-start-electoral-reform-campaign http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cross-party-alliance-draws-up-plan-to-secure-proportional-representation-by-2021-a6853811.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/britains-political-system-will-stay-broken-without-proportional-representation-chuka-umunna-warns-a6861161.html http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/natalie-bennett/electoral-reform_b_9188170.html This cannot just be about politicians. We all need to keep telling our representatives - and most importantly the present government - that we reject the electoral system and we want change. We won't persuade all of them, but they all hear, and this is what gives politicians like the ones at the Alliance Building Conference ammunition to argue for change. This is why we’re holding the Demo for Democracy in Parliament Square on Saturday 7th May. The anniversary of the most disproportionate election will be the first of an annual day of action which will continue until all of us have votes that matter. Save the date. Spread the word. In the meantime we’re resuming the debate with government on behalf of the now 530,000+ people who signed petitions demanding PR last year. Click here to read our letter to John Penrose, the Minister who gave the dismissive, evasive response to our petition last June: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13zs5yHCrGwt4JmLZnrL-c9lrgNulPUcJB8SV5NpkWeA/edit?usp=sharing We’re not going to let them off the hook so easily. Real momentum is starting to develop behind the campaign for PR. To win change, we need everyone to do what they can to pile on the pressure. If you want us to add your name as a signatory, either email makevotesmatter@gmail.com with the subject line: “sign”, like the post in Make Votes Matter’s Facebook group, or comment on this petition update with the word 'sign'. https://www.facebook.com/groups/votingreformteam/ We’ll send the letter out this Sunday 14 Feb 2016. Thanks for all of your support, Owen