Cumbrian branches of the national campaign group Make Votes Matter (MVM) will unite in June for a six-day walk from Grasmere to Preston to raise awareness of the need for a ‘fairer’ voting system.

Make Votes Matter is a cross-party campaign advocating Proportional Representation (PR) for House of Commons elections rather than the current First Past the Post.

The walk will begin on Monday, June 6 in Grasmere and reach Preston on Saturday, June 11, heading through Bowness, Kendal, Arnside, Lancaster and Garstang.

Supporters of MVM groups in Cumbria and Lancashire will be joining the walk and holding events and information stalls along the way.

Other groups are planning walks in Calderdale and Manchester and there will be a 'meeting of the roses’ when groups come together at the final rally in Preston.

Jo Stocking, a member of MVM North Lancashire who has helped organise the walk, said: “In a proportional voting system, the share of seats a party wins matches the share of votes it receives.

“Everyone’s vote counts equally, no matter which party they vote for. We think it’s time the UK caught up with the rest of the developed world and changed to a proportional system – this would be the biggest improvement to our democracy since women’s suffrage was achieved a century ago.

“All are welcome to join us and come to the events we’re planning.”

Make Votes Matter North Lancashire, which started in May 2021, holds regular meetings and is running a series of campaign events across North Lancashire and south Cumbria.