Action Taken
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
These questions all received high positive votes and we have written to the organizations below for their comments.
DATE ORGANIZATION ACKNOWLEDGED REPLY
14/07/08 THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION 28/7/08 As you may know the Electoral Commission is an independent body that was set up by the UK Parliament. Our mission is to foster public confidence and participation by promoting integrity, involvement and effectiveness in the democratic process. Our responsibilties include registering and regulating political parties, reviewing electoral law and procedures, promoting public awareness of our electoral systems and advising those involved on the conduct of elections and referendums.
We have noted your suggestion for an alternative system of voting in the UK Parliamentary elections. The Commission has taken no view on the relative merits of the different voting systems currently in use, or proposed for use, across the United Kingdom; or on the case for changing those systems. Equally, given our responsibility to run any referendum on proposed changes to voting systems, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on alternative voting systems.
14/7/08 LIBERAL DEMOCRATS 24/7/08 The Liberal Democrats have long been committed to proportional representation for general elections in the UK as we believe it is the only way to ensure every vote counts. Since 1997 an increasing number of British citizens have been able to take part in elections at least partially fought under a proportional system. Clearly the subject is no longer a political sideshow and very much a cause to strive for in the future.
First-Past-the-Post, currently in use for Westminster and local elections, is unfair. No party has got 50% of the vote in a UK election since 1935, yet election night has always produced an overall majority and often a landslide. For people in a safe seat a vote is an irrelevence, as in fact it often appears for people who support a party placed third or lower in their constituency. Even if your candidate comes second, your vote is wasted and you are represented by an MP who may hold very different views to you. This is unfair and it discourages people from voting. First-Past-the-Post means that there are usually only two large parties. That encourages adversarial and even abusive debate in Parliament and the media. First-Past-the-Post effectively discriminates against women and ethnic minorities.
14/07/08 JOSEPH ROWNTREE TRUST
14/07/08 THE LABOUR PARTY
14/07/08 CONSERVATIVE CAMPAIGN HQ
14/07/08 UKIP
14/07/08 THE GREEN PARTY
14/07/08 THE REUTERS GROUP
14/07/08 BBC NEWS
14/07/08 SKY NEWS
14/07/08 ITV PLC
