Voting systems (From The Northern Echo)

Voting systems

11:30am Tuesday 9th February 2010 in

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WHEN the Labour Party was elected in 1997 a commission was set up to suggest a more representative system for voting in General Elections.

It made its recommendations.

These would have retained the constituency link and have the effect that a party which came short of a majority in a cluster of constituencies would get a place in the cluster.

It was not a perfect solution, but I do not think that any system can be absolutely perfect.

All that can be achieved is something more representative of the distribution of opinion than the first-past-the-post system we have now.

What happened then was that there was very limited support inside the Labour Party and it is only now that another system is being proposed for referendum after this year’s General Election.

I can see no reason for any of us having any enthusiasm about such a proposition now. Perhaps we should discuss a proposal if one emerges after the General Election.

Geoffrey Bulmer, Billingham.