What do we do now?
Prioritising reform
For the past three elections ('15, '17, '19) the party has relegated electoral and linked political reform to the back pages (literally - see page 83 of the 2019 manifesto).
This has proven a big, strategic mistake. If the idea was that we would be more successful if only we played down boring constitutional stuff, then our wretched performance in these three elections shows that was plain wrong.
At LDER, we are not naive enough to claim electoral reform as a stand-alone election winner. But we do better as a principled party if we stand up and campaign boldly for our core liberal and social beliefs. Otherwise, our manifestos are reduced to well-intentioned, random-looking shopping lists of things we hope will please the voter. Electorate as Consumer is not what we are about. And it doesn't work.
Any positive signs?
Well there are a few, and LDER is following up on all of them:
- Public and even media disgust that the Tories, with their undemocratic Commons majority, are now forcing the UK out of the EU, on 44% of a 67% turnout, far less than voted Remain in 2016.
- Whether we like referendums or not, the 2016 referendum did mean that everyone's vote counted equally toward the result and this has been noted as a positive. This is why we must call for an equal as well of course as proportional voting system when we advocate PR/STV. The word 'fair' (or 'fairer') hasn't resonated and is also forever associated with the massively unsuccessful 2011 AV referendum. We need this new messaging to reinforce and communicate our argument.
- Acting Leader Ed Davey has upgraded electoral reform to a shadow cabinet position. Newly-elected NE Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain has the Political and Constitutional Reform brief in the Commons. She has already advocated electoral reform in a Commons speech. LDER Chair Denis Mollison is in contact with Wendy, to help reinforce the arguments and give her all possible support. We continue of course to work with Paul Tyler, our indefatigable Lords spokesperson on reform.
- Federal Policy Committee has put forward a policy motion, embracing electoral reform, that will be on the agenda of the York Spring Conference. This is a key step forward. LDER has summarily and wrongly had attempts to put motions to Conference rejected in the past - even being informed on one occasion that PR was already party policy! As with Wendy Chamberlain, LDER exec is keeping close to the progress of this motion and will propose content as its shape becomes clear.
- Our alliance partners, Make Votes Matter, plan a major 'Congress' type public event in the near future. This will involve all parties, but excitingly also non-party movements such as Extinction Rebellion. LDER exec member `Keith Sharp is on the Congress working party and we'll keep you informed.
On to the York Spring Conference (March 13-15)
LDER has an exhibition stall booked for Conference.
Here are some key questions we want to hear from you about - either at our stall in March or via our Facebook page:
- Do you agree electoral reform needs to be higher on our policy priorities than in the last three elections? Or do you think it's right to play it down in favour of more 'voter-eye-catching' policies (what would those be?).
- How can we link electoral reform, make it enablingly relevant, to other key changes that need to happen? For example, in Germany, PR has seen Greens in Government. Is that a route to addressing the climate emergency in political terms?
- To win, we need the right policy and we need to win the argument. Our key messages in the past haven't cut through, which is why (positive signs 2 above) our messaging is shaping up around 'equal' and 'proportional'. But we also have to overcome the negative argument that voters don't care; no-one calls for electoral reform on the doorstep. Maybe not, but we have seen huge voter dissatisfaction with FPTP.
- Can we still go it alone? Or to get reform, do we need a 'Unite to Reform' cross party collaboration at the next election? (modelled on but an expanded version of the promising if ultimately ill-fated 'Unite to Remain' agreement for the 2019 election).
LDER exec members believe it is essential to work with other parties - do you agree?
What else should we discuss? Join us in York in the battle for Equality at the Ballot Box.
Since last time
The meeting at the Royal Statistical Society on the bicentenary of STV (17 December) was well attended. Klina Jordan of Make Votes Matter enlisted audience participation in the arguments for proportional voting. Ian Simpson of the Electoral Reform Society looked at the contrast between local elections in Scotland, which have used STV since 2007), and in England which still uses FPTP. Denis Mollison reviewed the history and rationale of STV since the first small-scale election pioneered by Thomas Wright Hill in 1819; a written version of Denis's talk is in preparation.
Reform moves in Wales
Legislation to give councils the option of using STV for local elections is currently going through the Welsh Parliament (the Senedd). And a Committee of that Parliament is consulting on electoral systems, following the recommendation of the 2017 McAllister Commission report that the Parliament should use STV rather than AMS. This consultation closes on 19th February; please email info@lder.org if you are interested in contributing to our response.