Listen to the People!

It’s good enough for Wales. Scotland and seventy percent of the world’s democracies. Lib Dems, Greens, Labour Party members and trade unions want it, as do over 60% of the public. But the vested interests of a powerful elite say we cannot have it. What is it? It’s the shocking idea that the number of winning candidates in elections should reflect the number of people who voted for them!

In 2024, Labour won 64% of the seats with 34% of the vote. Just over one in five of the electorate actually voted Labour. In this year’s local elections just 16% of councillors received a majority of the votes in their ward, down from 65% just 4 years ago.

In places, Lib Dems benefit from this archaic system. In Richmond-on-Thames we have every seat on the Council, but only won 51.5% of the vote, The other 48.5% of the electorate have no representation.

First Past the Post voting may have been acceptable when there were just 2 dominant Parties but now, in England, there are 5 Parties within 11% of each other in opinion polls.

There are many fairer voting systems in use. e.g. electoral-reform.org.uk/there-is-a-new-way-of-voting-at-the-senedd-election-this-may-how-does-it-work/   www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zng6b7h

Lib Dems favour the system called the Single Transferable Vote, where areas have, for example, four people being elected and voters can rank the candidates in order of preference 1, 2, 3….

e.g.  https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/elections-voting/single-transferable-vote-stv

There can be a discussion about the best system, but progressive Parties must keep pushing the old establishment to make a decisive change. The system we have at present is incompatible with true democracy.