Labour’s fourth general election defeat at the hands of the Conservatives was their most damaging yet. Boris Johnson’s 2019 election victory saw Labour’s voter base in the North crumble, their pathway back into government appears more treacherous than ever.

124 seats will be needed at the 2024 general election to secure even a fragile majority of one.

It is a systemic problem for centre-left parties. In 2019, the Conservatives needed approximately 38,000 votes per seat. Labour needed over 50,000. The Greens needed over 850,000.

The Conservatives hegemonic electioneering shows no signs of letting up, and as Labour battles to prevent a fifth straight general election defeat, something needs to change.

In this in-depth feature, Chris Lomas explores whether an alliance of progressive political parties would restore electoral balance to the UK, the practicalities of electoral pacts, and why proportional representation could be the long-term answer.