PR
Newly out Tory-voter Backword Dave says of PR:I can’t see why any Labour supporter would welcome it.
Well I'm a Labour supporter and I would welcome it. First because it is fairer, it is unfair that the Lib Dems get 20% of the vote but less than 10% of the seats. Worse, there is no reason to believe FPTP won't get less and proportional to the point where the winning party in terms of share of the vote gets an enormous majority in terms of seats. Second, the Francis Pym reason - I'm not a great fan of governments with large majorities. The Dave argument would suggest that I would be happiest if Labour took 100% of the seats and the Tories/Lib Dems were destroyed. I wouldn't be happy at all. Governments with constrained powers are usually better governments, particularly because I also don't believe that Labour have a monopoly on wisdom.
The argument in favour that he gives, which is "I think the direct responsibility of MPs to their constituents is the foundation of representative democracy. Bugger Iraq and all that, if I’m in danger of being deported to Malawi, I want my MP out protesting", applies no less to STV really. Very few MPs under our current system really have to worry about local accountability.
posted by Matthew @ 4/15/2005 02:03:00 PM
Comments: 0
