Re: [A-List] UK state: PR in Scottish local elections

[Douglas Chalmers <dch@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 15/5/03 11:17 am, "Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx> wrote:

> Douglas writes:
>
> The Parliament is still in its infancy, only 4 years down the road, but PR
> so far may be the biggest single achievement it has so far agreed on, with
> the potential to have the longest lasting results.
>
> ------
>
> Of which by far the greatest will be the dismantling of the utterly corrupt,
> embedded Labour Party local government apparatus, which is the rotten
> foundation of Tony's shiny New Labour project. This is a central
> contradiction threatening to tear apart Tony's precarious hegemony. Given
> the Labour Party's traditional dependence on Scotland, this, combined with
> the chipping away of the SSP, SNP, and Greens, spells the end of that state
> of affairs north of Berwick, and ultimately in England, as the legitimacy of
> the status quo crumbles in the face of Scottish developments (cf. regional
> assemblies).
>
> Michael
>
>
I agree with you Michael, and the hegemony of old style Labour has been the
'means' of preventing better 'ends' or outcomes in Scotland's politics. I
think the weaking of Labour will help open up these alternative ends, as a
positive outcome. I think it may mean less general alienation from politics
and more  openings for civil society organisations and community based
groups. Already, despite the flawed system of PR we have for the Parliament
itself (a form of Additional member system), the enforced coalitions and the
committee system of deliberation have led to a total transformation in terms
of access to decision makers by the public. The task will be to use the new
voting system for local government to transform the political practice in
communities.

Douglas