Today's news headline on the BBC website ia "Leaders set out rival 'choices'"
What choice do we actually have here? It makes me think that we seriously need to examine our electoral system as I fear that we are rapidly turning into a rotten borough, or at least a modern version of one.
Historically a rotten borough was a throwback to when a constituency had a royal charter to elect members of parliament, these were often controlled by the mp or landowner with people given little or no choice on who they elected.
Rotten or pocket boroughs were officially abolished in an electoral reform act in 1832.
In this election we had various party leader debates and all the parties talk about "Choices" we are told that to get a government of a particular stripe we have to vote for that party.
In our system over 50% of the votes were wasted in the last election - over 64% in my constituency were wasted. - votes posted for losing candidates and no votes
I am seriously annoyed that the media and politicians have perpetuated the myth that we have a democratically elected government - in truth who are we electing?
I get to vote for 1 person to become the mp for this constituency - that person represents a party (I have no choice in that - there are no independent candidates) - a vote for a candidate is seen as a vote for the party of the winning candidate (regardless of who I actually voted for)
As a voter I have no say about who the parties nominate for election, nor do I have a say in the policies or beliefs of the parties, nor do I have a say in the leader of that party.
We do not vote for the party leader - nor do we elect a government.
Given the major disconnect between who we actually vote for and the reality I think that it is time for electoral reform .
The Government will say that we had a referendum on electoral reform and the vote was in favour of the first past the post system, but they don't listen to the question they actually asked which was would you like to change the existing electoral system to the alternative vote? - this was a simple yes or no question with a very specific yes answer - this is not the same as electoral reform.
In actual fact the party leader with the greatest number of seats in the house sets up a meeting with an unelected monarch who invites them to form a government.
If there is a coalition we get no say in that either - it seems to me that things have been stitched up.
the politicians and those in power.
Life will not change significantly no matter who is in Government - in fact things stay pretty much the same - so vote for choice or live in a rotten borough where democratic power is kept well away from the people and in the hands of parties who have their own agendas and an unelected octogenarian.
Hey in Britain we can do both.
In actual fact I do, as a member of a trade union I am allowed to vote in Labour party elections, but I abstain from voting as I have no particular affinity with or wish to be a member of any political party. I also do not pay the political levy on the union membership.
What choice do we actually have here? It makes me think that we seriously need to examine our electoral system as I fear that we are rapidly turning into a rotten borough, or at least a modern version of one.
Historically a rotten borough was a throwback to when a constituency had a royal charter to elect members of parliament, these were often controlled by the mp or landowner with people given little or no choice on who they elected.
Rotten or pocket boroughs were officially abolished in an electoral reform act in 1832.
In this election we had various party leader debates and all the parties talk about "Choices" we are told that to get a government of a particular stripe we have to vote for that party.
In our system over 50% of the votes were wasted in the last election - over 64% in my constituency were wasted. - votes posted for losing candidates and no votes
I am seriously annoyed that the media and politicians have perpetuated the myth that we have a democratically elected government - in truth who are we electing?
I get to vote for 1 person to become the mp for this constituency - that person represents a party (I have no choice in that - there are no independent candidates) - a vote for a candidate is seen as a vote for the party of the winning candidate (regardless of who I actually voted for)
As a voter I have no say about who the parties nominate for election, nor do I have a say in the policies or beliefs of the parties, nor do I have a say in the leader of that party.
We do not vote for the party leader - nor do we elect a government.
Given the major disconnect between who we actually vote for and the reality I think that it is time for electoral reform .
The Government will say that we had a referendum on electoral reform and the vote was in favour of the first past the post system, but they don't listen to the question they actually asked which was would you like to change the existing electoral system to the alternative vote? - this was a simple yes or no question with a very specific yes answer - this is not the same as electoral reform.
In actual fact the party leader with the greatest number of seats in the house sets up a meeting with an unelected monarch who invites them to form a government.
If there is a coalition we get no say in that either - it seems to me that things have been stitched up.
the politicians and those in power.
Life will not change significantly no matter who is in Government - in fact things stay pretty much the same - so vote for choice or live in a rotten borough where democratic power is kept well away from the people and in the hands of parties who have their own agendas and an unelected octogenarian.
Hey in Britain we can do both.
In actual fact I do, as a member of a trade union I am allowed to vote in Labour party elections, but I abstain from voting as I have no particular affinity with or wish to be a member of any political party. I also do not pay the political levy on the union membership.
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