Electoral reform.... what woud YOU like to see happen ....

[Saracen]

....

The downside of non-majority governments is that it is much harder for them to pass beneficial legislation. The upside of non-majority governments is that it is much harder for them to pass detrimental legislation. Even in a formal coalition, if one of the minority partners disagrees with the legislation they can easily scupper it. What hopefully happens is that the legislation that does pass is actually better because it has to consider the views of all groups in the government. I'll be interested to see what happens if we do end up hung, certainly...

Or, it's just much harder for them to pass legislation, period.

The danger, though, is that instead of consensus government, you end up with a kludge/compromise resulting from private back-room horse-trading, in which the parties stitch up what they can live with and, once again, we the people get shafted.

[Saracen]

.... I'll be interested to see what happens if we do end up hung, certainly...

Most likely, a few months of floundering about trying to get it to work, rapidly followed by another election in which we, the people, are asked to 'get it right this time'.

[scaryjim]

... rapidly followed by another election in which we, the people, are asked to 'get it right this time'.

I'd've thought hanging parliament *is* getting it right...

Now, where's my portable gallows...

[directhex]

it keeps fringe parties from wielding any influence. Read - it keeps the BNP from getting any power.

Even idiots are allowed to be democratic - so if the electorate is dumb enough to want the BNP, then they BNP should get seats.

That aspect would be no different with a formal coalition either.

Don't approve of those either!

[Champman99]

Even idiots are allowed to be democratic - so if the electorate is dumb enough to want the BNP, then they BNP should get seats.

I agree to an extent, but as I explained at the end of my above post, the BNP getting 3% of the vote under a one vote proportional representation system implies they were the favourite party of 3%. It fails to take into acount they may have been the least favourite party for 90% of the vote.

The fact is just simply voting for your favourite is not enough to convey your preferences accurately. So the "adding up" of preferences that should be achieved by voting is invalid and will not yield the optimal result.

[TheAnimus]

I think we should let Simon Cowel sort this out.

[jim]

Are you suggesting that we get Gordon Brown on a stage singing?

[TheAnimus]

There was this news night not so long ago that Charlie Broker even took the piss out of, Cowel basically said that 'even he did not know why we are in Iraq', and that he would have a red phone to the current PM so he could call in live at any moment. Top notch stuff.

[jim]

That rings a bell actually, did make me laugh

[scaryjim]

Even idiots are allowed to be democratic

Which, let's be honest, is one of the biggest problems with Democracy

[Lucio]

My personal opinion is to scrap the ideas of elected inviduals and replace our governement with a one that awards positions based on competancy and ability to do the job. To ensure that the people are listened to, include a system where particular decisions can be reviewed and challenged legally without requiring a bloated expensive 3 year court case, maybe require a minimum of 100 or 1000 people to oppose a decision?

It won't be ideal still, but it'd be a damned sight more effeciant because people would be running the country as their job rather than as a popularity contest.

[scaryjim]

... replace our governement with one that awards positions based on competancy and ability to do the job. ...

Who do you appoint to decide whether someone *is* competent? And how do you decide if that person is competent to make decisions about who would be competent to run the country? And so on...

You'd inevitably end up with some little clique that'd find a way around any safeguards you put in place. The whole point of an elected government is to avoid this kind of system!

[Flash477]

Given the vast level of cynicism and disinterest in politics, I'm forced to conclude that a lot of people are disinterested in politics because they don't feel their vote makes much if any difference, and that whatever he parties say, and whoever is elected, after the election, it'll be back to business as usual and we get ignored for another 5 years, because whichever party gets elected, they will then claim to have a "mandate" to do whatever the hell they feel like.

Well really that is the whole problem in a nutshell there. If it were a case that if a government failed to live up to its election promises then it was kicked out and a new election held, we would see much more straight talking from our politicians.

Politics is atm the only job where you can get sacked, be given a golden handshake, and then welcomed back with open arms in a couple of years

[Saracen]

....

Now, where's my portable gallows...

Oh sorry, didn't realise you were using it. I borrowed it for a 'project' of my own. I was going to erm .... motivate .... the local candidates round here.

I've put it back now.