When people can’t feed themselves and their families and the planet burns, it’s clear democracy is not working. On this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated, we got into the mechanics of how our political system makes our society more unequal and unstable.

The structure of our parliaments changes what they can and will do, limiting the potential for the change this country needs. Voting justice – where votes are fair and equal across the UK, where people’s voices are represented and Westminster doesn’t hold an iron grip on all crucial levers of power – would lead to social justice.

In the UK, voter are split pretty evenly (49/51) on whether immigration enriches or undermines our society. Yet, three quarters of constituencies have anti-immigration majorities. 8 in 10 Brits are concerned about climate change. Half think that net zero targets need to be brought forward. Over 65% of the public supports nonviolent direct action to protect the environment. The pay rise size that the most working Britons agree with is 1o%.

Between union busting, new coal mines, and greater police power, it’s clear that chasm between the policy passed and public opinion is creeping wider. Without changing the way we vote, the policy options of what we vote for policies will keep being decided by the margins, factions, and swing voters.

To make the case for voting justice as social justice, and explain the connection between the ballot box and bills passed we were joined by:

• Professor Kate E. Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Level, is a Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York
• Emeritus Professor, Baroness Ruth Lister, Professor of Social Policy at Loughborough University