Rally at London's Methodist Central Hall this Thursday in support of electoral reform

[articul8]

Any talk of electoral reform after the BNP wins in june have been blown out of the water for a decade

that is just plain stupid - they won because the mainstream partie vote collapsd. They pick up support in areas where people feel no mainstream partie give a shit about them - which by and large they don't because they're not swing voters in marginal seats.

FPTP is giving us the rotten politics that encourages the BNP like flie round shit. The idea that we can't reform that system because that would "let thim in" is frankly utterly mad.

 

[agricola]

Our survey work shows that people think very little about electoral systems. Hence there is a significant degree of support for first-past-the-post, which reduces only when the deficiencies of the system are pointed out

Focus groups convened to test peoples reaction to different systems suggested that many citizens were unaware of any defects in first-past-the-post until they were pointed out.

This, to me, is especially revealing when it comes to debate over PR. The assumption is clearly there that FPTP has deficiencies (which in itself is arguable, as I have said infintely more of the blame for the current malaise within politics lies with the party system), and yet the rather clearer deficiencies of the other systems (which, despite articul8's reaction, one of which is definately that you get small parties like the BNP gaining representation far beyond what is justifiable) are rarely highlighted.

The only assumption that anyone should have about FPTP is that the returned candidate should (or rather, must) go on to represent everyone, whether they voted for them or not, equally well in Parliament. Instead, we have advocates of PR (who are often people whose parties would directly gain from it being brought in) pretending that an electors vote is wasted, almost that the elector themself is not represented, based solely on the party of the electors choice not getting elected.

I am repeating myself here, but those of an independent mindset who support electoral reform are barking up the wrong tree. Fix the party system, not the electoral.

 

[Meltingpot]

This, to me, is especially revealing when it comes to debate over PR. The assumption is clearly there that FPTP has deficiencies (which in itself is arguable, as I have said infintely more of the blame for the current malaise within politics lies with the party system), and yet the rather clearer deficiencies of the other systems (which, despite articul8's reaction, one of which is definately that you get small parties like the BNP gaining representation far beyond what is justifiable) are rarely highlighted.

The only assumption that anyone should have about FPTP is that the returned candidate should (or rather, must) go on to represent everyone, whether they voted for them or not, equally well in Parliament. Instead, we have advocates of PR (who are often people whose parties would directly gain from it being brought in) pretending that an electors vote is wasted, almost that the elector themself is not represented, based solely on the party of the electors choice not getting elected.

I am repeating myself here, but those of an independent mindset who support electoral reform are barking up the wrong tree. Fix the party system, not the electoral.

You can't, firstly because they're intertwined (our parties are a product of the system we have), and secondly, because without any threat of loss of either influence or security they have no incentive to change. If you think that as things stand now either Gordon Brown or David Cameron is going to listen to your concerns about the failings of the current party system and then implement whatever changes are indicated on their merits, you're out of touch with reality.