[Marxism] British Government against switch to PR

["Jack Cade" <jack.cade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is also an article by Jack Straw on the London Guardian
website on this issue. There is also a Blog on it that
six-year-olds could have done better. The arguments made against
it, even by the left, are that firstly, FPTP (first past the
post) creates the large majorities you need to introduce radical
change and secondly, that PR produces hung parliaments, which set
things up for the sort of horse-trading that the Lib-Dems thrive
on.

Whatever, it is unlikely to happen anytime soon. But it was not
just this election but the whole Thatcher experience (arrogant,
elitist, neo-liberal rule without any popular base) that has made
PR an issue. Of course Blair is a Thatcherite too and he hasn't
taken any of the crucial decisions he could and should have done
with the majority he had. Both believe business left to its own
devices is the best way for things to be run.

Jack Cade

Full:
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1488628,00.
html

Falconer warns against switch to PR

Matthew Tempest, political correspondent
Friday May 20, 2005

 
The government today appeared to put the dampener on the campaign
for a change in Westminster's voting system, saying there was no
"groundswell" of support for proportional representation.

This month's general election saw Labour elected with a 67-seat
majority on only 35% of the popular vote - 22% of the electorate
- a record low for a majority government.

However the secretary of state for constitutional affairs, Lord
Falconer, today said he saw no public pressure for reform.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't think there is a
real groundswell for change. The consequences of change would be
significant for the way we are governed."

The chairman of the Makes Votes Count lobby, which argues for PR,
reacted with scorn. Lord Lipsey said: "I don't know what planet
he [Lord Falconer]'s on, but people have been talking about
little else since the election.

"This definitely does not mean it's all over. People who support
electoral reform do not, by their nature, throw bricks through
windows or assault policemen, but we be doing a number of things
over the next few weeks to demonstrate there is huge public
support for change."

Lord Falconer, who is also the lord chancellor and a close
confidante of Tony Blair, said a move to proportional
representation would mean politicians were preoccupied with
establishing coalitions.




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