Proportional Representation

[Jeffrey Shaw]

Look at the situation we could be in tomorrow. We might have to wait until 1st June to know who is going to govern us. What if there is a war or some other serious event needs attention, who will be running the country and making these important decisions in the interim?

Who's running it now, anyway?

[A: HM The Queen as Head of State. And the Privy Council. And civil servants. So no change there, then.]

[-Boomer-]

Look at the situation we could be in tomorrow. We might have to wait until 1st June to know who is going to govern us. What if there is a war or some other serious event needs attention, who will be running the country and making these important decisions in the interim?

 

Mickey Mouse, oh wait, he already is, at least for a day and a bit anyway

[LeMaquis]

Who's running it now, anyway?

[A: HM The Queen as Head of State. And the Privy Council. And civil servants. So no change there, then.]

 

 

Not quite. Cameron is still PM and ministers are still in charge of their departments.

 

"What happens to the Government when Parliament is dissolved?

 

The Government does not resign when Parliament is dissolved. Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until after the result of the election is known and a new administration is formed.

 

The Prime Minister is appointed by the Sovereign. Ministers are appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. These appointments are independent of the role of MP. Ministers retain their ministerial titles after dissolution, but those who were MPs can no longer use the MP suffix."

 

http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/elections-and-voting/general/dissolution/#jump-link-3

[swarfendor437]

The Proletariat already have a degree of PR available - only over the weekend on Channel 4 news it showed a disillusioned voter who has legally swopped her Vote with someone in a different part of the country - and it is legal! Her local Green candidate is unlikely to get in so the voter agreed to swap her vote where it is likely to gain success while she votes Labour in her constituency.

[alchemist]

Look at the situation we could be in tomorrow. We might have to wait until 1st June to know who is going to govern us. What if there is a war or some other serious event needs attention, who will be running the country and making these important decisions in the interim?

 

It would be the same people that are runiing it today and have been since 2010. The old government doesnt step down till the new one is ready to take over and goes to kiss the hand.

 

The current voting system is now no longer fit for purpose and should be scrapped. I can think of no redeeming factor to support a system where in the vast majority of the seats the winner is the one with the highest MINORITY of votes.

 

As a matter of interest, in the last election were ANY seats won by a voting majority of over 50% of the electorate? Or failing that, the last time a seat was won by over 50% of the electorate?

[El Cid]

 

The current voting system is now no longer fit for purpose and should be scrapped. I can think of no redeeming factor to support a system where in the vast majority of the seats the winner is the one with the highest MINORITY of votes.

 

 

I agree, and have thought this for years.

 

PR for Westminster, we already have it for the EU, and we should have a version of PR for local and city elections.

Getting a single local candidate is most important at local level, but MP spend very little time locally, how can when they often have two or more homes.

[loraward]

I agree, and have thought this for years.

 

PR for Westminster, we already have it for the EU, and we should have a version of PR for local and city elections.

Getting a single local candidate is most important at local level, but MP spend very little time locally, how can when they often have two or more homes.

 

Since the EU is into fairness and equality for all, I wonder if anyone has tried to force the issue through the EU.

[alchemist]

Yesterdays GE was a wonderful advert for the outdated first past the post system wasnt it?

 

Lets have a quick look at the results at 0845

 

SNP 5% of the vote and 56 seats

Lidbdems 7.8 % and 8 seats

DUP 0.6% and 8 seats

UKIP 12.5% and 1 seat

 

63.5% of the votes were AGAINST the tories and yet they are going to be in power by having over 50% of the seats

 

Anyone care to explain how that is fair and democratic?

[JFKvsNixon]

It's interesting that there were very few calls for PR after the 2010 election, even though the first past the post system hurt the Lib-Dems. In that election they were closer to the Labour party in numbers of votes than Labour was to the Tories, but they got 200 fewer MPs than Labour.

Edited May 8, 2015 by JFKvsNixon

[blake]

the Tories and UKIP, both right wing parties got 50% of the vote between them and between them also about 50% of the seats, so the result is not as skewed as all that. Whoever succeeds Miliband as Labour leader will definitely not be wanting electoral reform anymore than Labour leaders did in the 1980s.