Thursday, August 22, 2019
Time to change the system
When opinion polls are showing the Liberal Democrats neck and neck with Labour, but only likely to win a third of the number of seats, then it is clearly time to change the system. Some of us have been saying that for a considerable amount of time, so it is good to have a new study to back up our argument.
The Independent reports that an analysis of the 2019 election results has found England to have large areas of “democracy deserts” and that there were the “wrong winners” in 17 local authorities:
The Denied Democracy report, auditing votes held in 2019, including the local elections and European elections, claims voters are eager to “shop around” at the ballot box but are prevented by the current system.
It adds that during the local elections in May, there were 17 authorities where the party scoring the most votes did not get the most councillors up for election.
The reports authors said this a “localised example of something that has happened on a national scale” in UK general elections under first-past-the-post (FPTP).
They wrote: “In 1951, Labour won most votes across the UK (48.8%) but the Conservatives won the majority of seats. In February 1974, the Conservatives won most votes (37.8%) but Labour won the most seats.”
For England read Wales of course (though we did not have local council elections this year), but in Scotland and Northern Ireland where voters choose their councillors using the proportional single transferable vote system this phenomenon is not a problem.
Isn't it time that something was done about this undemocratic voting system?
The Independent reports that an analysis of the 2019 election results has found England to have large areas of “democracy deserts” and that there were the “wrong winners” in 17 local authorities:
The Denied Democracy report, auditing votes held in 2019, including the local elections and European elections, claims voters are eager to “shop around” at the ballot box but are prevented by the current system.
It adds that during the local elections in May, there were 17 authorities where the party scoring the most votes did not get the most councillors up for election.
The reports authors said this a “localised example of something that has happened on a national scale” in UK general elections under first-past-the-post (FPTP).
They wrote: “In 1951, Labour won most votes across the UK (48.8%) but the Conservatives won the majority of seats. In February 1974, the Conservatives won most votes (37.8%) but Labour won the most seats.”
For England read Wales of course (though we did not have local council elections this year), but in Scotland and Northern Ireland where voters choose their councillors using the proportional single transferable vote system this phenomenon is not a problem.
Isn't it time that something was done about this undemocratic voting system?
Comments:
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Of course it's time, Peter. But in the fifty years since I joined the Young Liberals, the two largest parties have been against it, for reasons of self-preservation. Perhaps now that one or both has genuine existential worries some progress can be made.
Paul Bennett, Darlington
Paul Bennett, Darlington
Yes time for a change. Who invented the FPTP system in the 50s? Why was it brought in? Anyway, it is now well past its sell by date and has become undemocratic robbing people of being able to decide which party they want to vote for.
It perpetuates the us and them system. Vote Tory get Labour and vice versa. It is divisive.
It perpetuates the us and them system. Vote Tory get Labour and vice versa. It is divisive.
As democrats, we have to accept that under a fair voting system extremist parties at present excluded because their vote is spread evenly across a region will gain a number of seats. But that is a small price to pay for the greater benefit.
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