Originally Posted by Flyboy (Post 35008401)

This is one of the strongest reasons not to allow the Tories back in. I draw a cold sweat and shudder with fear, when I think of Flyboy11, left to the mercies of a school system that could be comparable to that of fifteen years ago. His many learning difficulties would go ignored and untreated with teachers left alone to manage classes of thirty-five or more, with no assistants to help with students who struggle to keep up and cope with school life. No time to prepare lessons and review work. Crumbling buildings with areas of infrastructure closed because it is unsafe to teach in a hazardous environment. This is what can be expected from a Tory government.

Originally Posted by Damien (Post 35008413)

Now is probably the best chance to implement such reforms. As it stands the polls suggest that the result may be the perfect example of how screwy our current system is. Labour would well come 3rd in the popular vote and be the party with the most seats. Not to mention that it is looking likely that the Liberal Democrats are likely power-brokers in the event of hung parliament and they are the largest party in favour of voting reform.

The two main parties are unlikely want to change a system skewed in their favour if they had a majority. Public pressure and the need to make concessions to the Liberal Democrats is the only environment in which I can see reforms taking place.

Originally Posted by Flyboy (Post 35008414)

In fact, there has been twenty-three in the UK since nineteen eighteen. So not much difference between both systems.

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet (Post 35008422)

Can we perhaps deal with this after the economy has been set on the right course and we aren't running nearly 400mn/day budget deficits, which isn't going to happen with the Lib Dems holding control?

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet (Post 35008422)

How about the past 8 years, bearing in mind that terms are 4 years in the Netherlands and 5 here, and in the context of what happened last time there was a hung parliament?

Originally Posted by Damien (Post 35008429)

It will never happen unless the Lib Dems do hold control. It's also quite conceivable that an alliance can take place if the Tories concede Civil Liberties and Voting reform and the Liberal Democrats let the Tories dictate economic policy.

Originally Posted by Damien (Post 35008429)

It will never happen unless the Lib Dems do hold control. It's also quite conceivable that an alliance can take place if the Tories concede Civil Liberties and Voting reform and the Liberal Democrats let the Tories dictate economic policy.

Originally Posted by danielf (Post 35008435)

I doubt the Tories would concede on electoral reform. The current system doesn't work in their favour, but under PR (or any representative voting system) they will face 2 parties on the left flank, which will seriously decrease their chances of getting in.

Originally Posted by Xaccers (Post 35008437)

Lets see
PR - vote for the party not the candidate
STV - vote for the candidate you don't want the least
Equal population constituencies - every vote is equal, vote for the candidate not the party

Originally Posted by danielf (Post 35008439)

I think this vote for the candidate thing is a bit of a misnomer. At the end of the day they get elected to run the country and party politics supersede local matters. It makes sense to vote for the party.

Originally Posted by Xaccers (Post 35008441)

Really?
Tell that to those who've had to call on their MP for support.
MPs do not "run the country" unless in the cabinet, and even then it's the civil service under them that do the running.
A single backbencher in parliment has very little power in the HoC, but in the local area they can save lives.
If they're good of course.
You could be lumbered with someone like Margret Moran. Ask the Luton South constituents if they'd be happy to vote for her over a different candidate. I know several who would rather have their fingernails removed.

I'd rather the Tory idea of reducing the size of the HoC and resizing constituencies so they are equal.

Originally Posted by danielf (Post 35008444)

Oh, I do like the link to local constituencies, but at the end of the day MPs do vote on the laws drawn up by the government, and the colour of your local MP does help decide what Government gets in, so it seems silly to just choose the candidate without considering if you agree with his/her party's plans.

Originally Posted by Xaccers (Post 35008446)

It depends whether your MP is likely to follow their own views or their party's.

Originally Posted by danielf (Post 35008451)

It's more likely to be dependent on if the party allows a free vote.