 James Lowther was Chairman of the Speakers' Electoral Reform Conference in 1916–1917, of the Boundary Commissions (Great Britain and Ireland) in 1917, of the Royal Commission on Proportional Representation in 1918, all held before the legislation was introduced.There had been a call for the introduction of proportional representation in multi member seats, at least in major urban areas where constituencies would not have to cover very large areas.This was not a unanimous recommendation and some politicians wanted to introduce the alternative vote in single member seats.