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Making a noise to Make Votes Matter

Protesters campaigning for voting reform gathered in Cambridge as part of a national Make Votes Matter day of action.

Aidan BakerbyAidan Baker
August 3, 2021
in Cambridgeshire, Democracy, UK
Cambridge Make Votes Matter posters

Cambridge organiser Paul Browne holding Make Votes Matter posters

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Campaign group Make Votes Matter organised a ‘banner drop’, in Cambridge on Saturday morning. The banner drop was from Silver Street Bridge, where the road from the city centre to the College crosses the River Cam.

Local residents and politicians from around Cambridge lowered a banner over the bridge parapet reading “MAKE VOTES MATTER”. Make Votes Matter is a national voting reform movement in favour of Proportional Representation (PR).  The aim is to make Parliament a more accurate reflection of the way citizens vote.

The crowd of about 30 people heard from organiser Paul Browne. Other speakers present were Council Leader Lewis Herbert, Councillor Naomi Bennett and James Catmur. They unpacked their reasons for favouring proportional representation as a voting principle over the ‘First Past the Post’ (FPTP) system now in force for Westminster elections.

Cambridge Make Votes Matter Protest
Cambridge Make Votes Matter Protest

Lewis Herbert praised the more co-operative style of politics in countries that had PR.  Natalie Bennett said the FPTP system led to a dangerous disengagement from politics. She’d heard of Cambridge streets where only 10% of eligible people turned out to-vote.

National organisers asked protesters to ‘Make Noise for Proportional Representation’. So following the banner drop there were chants: “What do we want?  Equal votes! When do we want them? Now!” They also raised a noise with voices, pots and pans and other instruments.

The river near Silver Street Bridge is a prime spot for punt hire and gets very busy later in the day.  Punt touts asked demonstrators, as they left, what the noise was about, and took away a rapid explanation.

The Cambridge event was part of a national ‘Make Noise for Make Votes Matter’ day, with groups taking part all over the country.

Today is the day! Three ways to get involved:

📣 Post and share anything about proportional representation with hashtag #MakeNoiseForPR
✔️ Sign our petition: https://t.co/00eMQc9d0s
🗣️ Share the petition with 3 friends or family

Let's build this movement even bigger! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/PjgqTm6o1u

— Make Votes Matter (@MakeVotesMatter) July 31, 2021

Today we met on Silver Street Bridge in Cambridge to #MakeNoiseForPR!

We need Proportional Representation to fix UK politics, so all votes are equal no matter where they're cast.

We need LESS FPTP voting, not more!

Sign the @MakeVotesMatter petition👉 https://t.co/mwPlcKtokB pic.twitter.com/3x6sbwceO7

— Make Votes Matter Cambridgeshire (@MVM_Cambs) July 31, 2021

In "honour" of our backwards First Past the Post voting system, here's a backwards video of us taking down the banners on Slver Street Bridge after today's #MakeNoiseForPR event.

It's time for #ProportionalRepresentation, join @MakeVotesMatter and #GetPRDone pic.twitter.com/izFqhqqk6I

— Make Votes Matter Cambridgeshire (@MVM_Cambs) July 31, 2021
River Cam, Cambridge

Elsewhere around the country

We had a great reaction to our street stall on Saturday. Here we are as we #MakeSomeNoiseforPR

Join us if you want your vote to matter #MakeVotesMatter pic.twitter.com/KrJ0Ebp2Kz

— MVM North Lancashire #FBPPR (@MvmNorthLancs) August 3, 2021
North Lancashire

Great work by the people campaigning in Marlow today for a fairer voting system.#MakeNoiseForPR #makevotesmatter https://t.co/j6Qn37pGor

— Slough for Europe 🇪🇺💙 (@SloughForEU) July 31, 2021
Marlow

Loads of Worthing residents guessed how many local votes were wasted in the 2019 election. 200 year old "first past the post" electoral system has to make way for Proportional Representation.#MakeNoiseForPR #MakeVotesMatter pic.twitter.com/YLuQQDCtZz

— MakeVotesMatterWorthing (@VotesMake) July 31, 2021
Worthing

#MakeNoiseForPR on #YorkshireDay at Bootham Bar in York’s city walls with @mvmyork @MakeVotesMatter #FBPPR https://t.co/KsotoiBAaA

— Sean Hagan #MVM #FBPPR #FBPA (@Sean1Hagan) August 1, 2021
York
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Aidan Baker

Aidan Baker

Aidan Baker is a retired librarian living in Cambridge, England. His poems have appeared in ‘Sledgehammer’, ‘RIC’, ‘Orbis’, projects from 26 Characters, and numerous other outlets both printed and online. He blogs his published poems at Blurtmetry. Aidan is a member of the EAB editorial team.

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