Yes I know it sounds like hyperbole but I consider that the announcement that an alternative voting system is being floated by the government is nothing less than the most heartening piece of political news in the last half-century.
For me it is the hub for the reform wheel - there are some 20 to 30 spokes that are also needed to create a 21stC model fit for the 'mother of all parliaments'.
The BBC broke the news this evening saying;
Gordon Brown will announce plans to examine a new Westminster voting system, the BBC understands.
Mr Brown will make a statement to MPs on Wednesday about his reform plans in the wake of the expenses scandal.
Ministers have discussed an alternative vote system to choose MPs to replace the first past the post method, BBC political editor Nick Robinson said.
Of course the Tories and the Murdoch media and the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph etc will do everything they can to prevent progress.
But looking at the results of the European elections Cameron might do well to support Fair voting - a goodly part of the Labour vote came back to Labour the Tories wouldn't win.
Fair voting will be a learning curve for everyone but its importance centres on justice and on getting the population involved and feeling that there vote counts.
Posts
But are they really interested in alternative voting systems? Or in only one, the "alternative vote," which is just another winner-take-all system. In fact the Jenkins Commission found it even worse than First Past The Post.
ReplyDelete