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Calling Cameron’s bluff on voting reform
Published: Monday, April 26th 2010
- Conservatives forced into 21st Century by Polls
- Clegg facing ‘unenviable’ choice over coalition partners
The Electoral Reform Society has commented on word that Conservatives are hinting to move on voting reform, as Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has set 'tests' for possible coalition partners based on the share of the vote.
The Society’s Chief Executive Dr Ken Ritchie said:
“His manifesto was clear enough, yet David Cameron now hints that voting reform is no longer out of bounds. But let’s be clear this is not his choice to make.
“The Conservatives are obliged to get serious on electoral reform because the public are set to deny them a majority on a minority of the vote. Mr Cameron may wish to fight an election and govern a country based on a 19th Century rulebook, but 21st century voters have called his bluff.
“The Conservatives stock defence of our antique political system is looking threadbare. A voting system designed for a contest between Whigs and Tories is manifestly failing the test of three party politics. The very fact First-Past-the-Post is now failing its chief proponents is one irony too perfect to ignore.”
Commenting on Nick Clegg’s statement on possible coalition partnerships Dr Ritchie added:“The Conservatives are obliged to get serious on electoral reform because the public are set to deny them a majority on a minority of the vote. Mr Cameron may wish to fight an election and govern a country based on a 19th Century rulebook, but 21st century voters have called his bluff.
“The Conservatives stock defence of our antique political system is looking threadbare. A voting system designed for a contest between Whigs and Tories is manifestly failing the test of three party politics. The very fact First-Past-the-Post is now failing its chief proponents is one irony too perfect to ignore.”
“Nick Clegg is right to make electoral reform a precondition for his support for a coalition. But Clegg must ask himself two big questions - which coalition partners are prepared to deliver real reform, and would the coalition as a whole have an adequate mandate. Given both big parties track records it’s an unenviable choice.
“We don’t buy the argument that the party with the strongest mandate gets first go at forming a government. If there is a coalition for reform that would collectively have a stronger mandate, then Clegg should go for it. [1]
“The idea that the party with most votes has the ‘strongest’ mandate must be treated with caution as our voting system can give a distorted picture. It is This is not a national contest for a national leader. This is a series of 650 local contests for local representatives, under a blunt winner takes all system. That’s why both main parties won’t be bothering their bases with the niceties of a campaign in many areas, and why so millions will stay at home or indulge in tactical voting.
Contacts
For more information, comment or interviews please contact Ashley Dé on 07968791684 or Dr Ken Ritchie on 07754165551Notes to Editors
[1] Coalitions forming without the largest party are a common feature in English, Welsh and Scottish local government. Examples of Coalition national government from abroad not including largest party include:
* Sweden 2006
o Returned coalition led by Moderate Party (under PM Fredrik Reinfeldt)
o Social Democrats won 130 seats, Moderates won 97
* Ireland 1982 (Nov)
o returned Fine Gael & Labour government
o Fianna Fail won 75 seats, FG won 70, and Labour won 16
o Lasted a full term, with Garret FitzGerald as PM
* West Germany 1972, 1976, 1980
o All returned a long-lasting SPD & FDP coalition (Willy Brandt then Helmut Schmidt)
o CDU/CSU seat count was higher in each election (although SPD had more than CDU alone)
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