We need proportional representation ...

[Rory Winter]

We need proportional representation. But what's on offer will just make matters worse

Jack Straw's electoral reform proposals will mean minority parties still taking power

Our recent history would look very different. In one of his last articles for this newspaper, Robin Cook said that “if we had a House of Commons elected by PR, we would never have had the war on Iraq in the first place” because the governing coalition would have fallen apart. There certainly would have been a much swifter shift to green policies, since Labour could only rule with the Lib Dems or Greens.

But incredibly, the government appears to be considering changing to the one electoral system that is less proportional than FPTP. The man in charge of the review is Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who has loathed and opposed proportional representation since he was a political advisor to Barbra Castle in the 1970s. In 2005, he called the advocates of PR “bad losers”, and mocked them for claiming there “is some fundamental flaw in the voting system.” PR would only produce “mush” and “damage our democracy,” he said with a wave of his hand ...

[Rory Winter]

The Europe Controversy



A new Thread meant to continue this & related topics has now been opened in the Scotland Group at

http://www.nineeleven.co.uk/board/viewtopic.php?t=14190

All are welcome to post there, Thanks!