tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post7353741292344702993..comments2023-08-03T07:33:41.442-07:00Comments on Idealistic Pragmatist: Electoral reform in the UK?Idealistic Pragmatisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18296481430598981678noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post-47737891078898622072008-03-12T19:41:00.000-07:002008-03-12T19:41:00.000-07:00Don't get your hopes up, IP. Having lived there f...Don't get your hopes up, IP. Having lived there for eight years, it is another one of these political manoeuvres.<BR/><BR/>There have been many calls for electoral reform by the Lib Dems, whether it is Paddy Ashdown or Charles Kennedy. The key is can Nick Clegg do as well as his predecessors. Given the split in his party over a EU referendum, highly unlikely.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post-4723900056834286872008-03-12T18:41:00.000-07:002008-03-12T18:41:00.000-07:00WER,Oh, my god, how embarrassing--of course I mean...WER,<BR/><BR/>Oh, my god, how embarrassing--of course I meant Brown. Correction made.<BR/><BR/>(And now I'm cracking up at the idea of Gordon Campbell as the prime minister of Britain. Ahem. Don't mind me.)<BR/><BR/>In any case, I'm now officially rooting for a minority parliament--of either shade--in the UK! Exciting times.Idealistic Pragmatisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18296481430598981678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12426618.post-45628870170748206892008-03-12T18:37:00.000-07:002008-03-12T18:37:00.000-07:00Thanks for the post on my home country IP. I think...Thanks for the post on my home country IP. I think you mean Gordon Brown not Gordon Campbell - even though he is Scottish :-)<BR/><BR/>The Lib Dems have supported electoral reform as long as I can remember, one of the reasons I have supported them - having grown up in a constituency (riding) where they weigh the vote rather than count it, it would be nice to think that your vote could actually matter rather than being a purely symbolic act.<BR/><BR/>Electoral reform has received a boost in the UK recently as all the new regional parliaments and assemblies (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, London) as well as the last European elections have used forms of proportional representation - and the sky is yet to fall in. The two largest parties still refuse to support it - mainly because they think it will reduce their chances of forming majority governments in the future, the current system delivers an enormous landslide with ~50% of the popular vote and majority government with less than 40%.Wild English Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07494529302545207246noreply@blogger.com