For as long as I can remember I’ve been interested in politics. Politics was always talked about at home by my parents. The news was always on. And the “A” level I excelled in (the others were ok but that was all) was “British Constitution” or Politics as it would be called today.
But now I’m fed up with politics. I’m fed up with the broken promises. I’m fed up with the lies. I’m fed up with the spin. But most of all I’m fed up with the way I’m not represented.
During the 2010 General Election I was living in the Swindon North parliamentary constituency. It had been a Labour seat for a number of years but in 2010 a Conservative – Justin Tomlinson - was elected. I wasn’t surprised. Having attended a hustings meeting organised by local churches, the Labour candidate came across as a robot parachuted in by Labour head office whereas Mr Tomlinson was a local man and spoke with passion.
Although our politics are different, I’ve thought of Justin Tomlinson as a good MP. And this blog isn’t about him. It is about the system.
The Electoral Commission web site shows the results from Swindon North as follows:
• Majority: 7,060
• Electorate: 78,384
• Total number of votes cast: 51,008
• Adjusted turnout: 64.16
• Number of postal votes cast: 9,065
• Number of proxy votes cast: 357
• Number of rejected votes: 170
In other words Justin Tomlinson had 7,060 votes more than the next candidate Labour’s V. Agarwal. So far so good. And if it had been a straight choice between them fair enough. But it wasn’t just between them. There were 4 other candidates. This meant that in terms of all the votes cast Justin Tomlinson was elected with 44.6% of the votes cast. Or in other words 55.4% of people who voted did not vote for him.
We’ve now moved to Chippenham and the story is similar here. The Liberal Democrat MP Duncan Hames was elected with a majority over the Conservative candidate of 2,470. Mr Hames attracted 45.8% of the vote. Or 54.2% of people didn’t vote for him.
I could go on with other examples. But there are many constituencies in this country where people did not vote for their particular MP and where more to the point most people voted for someone else.
I should add that there will be places where a Labour MP has been elected and most people voted for someone else. And there are some places where MPs do have a true majority of the votes cast (For example Geoffrey Clifton – Brown in the Cotswolds has 53% of the votes cast.) But overall it seems to me most people who vote don’t get a voice as their MP is for another party.
Our system is designed for a two party choice. You vote for one or the other. And in a straight choice there is nothing wrong with First Past the Post. In the Scottish Referendum there was a choice between “Yes” and “No” - simples. But when confronted with a ballot paper containing Conservative, Labour, LibDem, Green, UKIP, Monster Raving Loony Party etc. etc. etc. First Past the Post doesn’t work.
Most other countries now have some form of proportional representation. Why can’t we?
Going back to Swindon North for a moment. Only 64% of those entitled to vote did so. Mind you in Birmingham Ladywood only 48.66% of voters voted.
Perhaps low turnout is down to dissatisfaction with the process and maybe PR would help? Though equally the "can’t be bothereds” may come into play. I’d like to see voting as compulsory as it is in Australia.
Personally, I will always vote – though I am coming close nowadays to not bothering. (The closest I came to not voting was for the Police & Crime Commissioner election in 2012. I did vote but spoiled my ballot paper as I was so annoyed at the waste of money and the politicisation of policing.)
In the light of the Scottish Referendum it has been a long time since democracy has been talked about so openly. I hope politicians (of all parties) now take the opportunity to try and fix a broken system. As it stands if our Parliament is the “Mother of Parliaments” the kids must be pleased to have left home by now.
Data from the Electoral Commission web site http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/
