Proportional representation explained (in easy language)
So you are thinking about Proportional representation and have discussed it amongst your friends, they all think its a great idea, "BUT", they all say, "look at XXXX country it doesn't work". The truth is it DOES work, most of Europe's governments have a form of PR. The Liberal Democrats are advocates of Proportional Representation and in this regard the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system and we've included here a great little Presentation that pictorially shows how the STV system works to show why and how PR is so important.
However first let's explain why PR (Proportional Representation) is so important to the UK. At the present time in the UK we have a myriad of different voting systems, the Welsh and Scottish assemblies have a form of PR, while our electoral system for the Westminster Parliament is the First Past the Post system. So England has a different system for its electorate than Wales and Scotland, yet we are all supposed to be one "United Kingdom". Does this sound United to you? Surely if two of our countries have PR then England should as well? We currently have majority governments yet voted in by a minority of the people who voted, that is not democracy. Democracy is derived from two Greek words:-
Demo = The People + Kratia = The power of
We must never forget that.
If the majority of the people are being ignored in our voting system then we don't have democracy and the majority of the people need to rise up and force a change.
In a later blog we will explain about how gerrymandering has damaged our electoral system to the point that it is impossible to get a fair General Election and your vote really is being stolen. Before that however have a look at this little Presentation that explains very simply how proportional representation is fairer for you as a voter.
Many Thanks to www.cgpgrey.com for this excellent presentation:- please watch and enjoy.
https://youtu.be/l8XOZJkozfI
You can help support the Single Transferable Vote (STV) in the UK by joining Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform and the Electoral Reform Society.