Blog: Make My Vote Count

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After appearing on Steve Lamacq last week i got an email from the people at Make My Vote Count. FANTASTICALLY a chap their had heard the bit about STV (that's the Single Transferable Vote, Electoral System fans!) in "Things'll Be Different" and so emailed to ASK what my THORTS were and whether i wanted to "get involved".

Well, first of all, how GRATE is that? I don't think anybody's ever picked up on that particular bit before, so i was WELL CHUFFED that he had... although, to be honest, that's a simplification of what i REALLY think - i reckon we should have STV to elect the lower, policy making, house (so each member of the house is DIRECTLY responsible to US, and so local issues can be brought to bear), with the Upper House elected using a Party List system, so it represents the "higher" political ideas of the nation as a whole. Also, as ALSO mentioned in the song, the monarchy AND the church would be disestablished, and we'd have a proper grown-up PRESIDENT. I think we'd go for something like the French system for that, but I've not really decided what I think about that yet.

ANYWAY, Make My Vote Count are trying to highlight the need for electoral reform so that (amongst other things) people could feel their vote ISN'T wasted. At the moment, for the vast majority of us, there isn't really any technical point in turning up to vote. In most constituencies majorities for one party are so big it doesn't make much difference either way - of course, _I_ think everyone should vote ANYWAY for LO! a) one vote CAN make a difference and b) it's an insult to the millions who HAVE died and CONTINUE to die fighting for the right to vote if we just ignore it, but, to be honest, I can see why so many people see no practical point in it. If we had a Proportionally Representative system where ALL the votes counted towards something then not only would people would became more ENGAGED in politics, but politicians would have to take note of what ALL of us think, not just people in marginal constituencies and the INSANE LOONIES who run the media.

YEAH! That's what i think about THAT! I'm not sure if I'll have anything USEFUL to say that'll be any use for the Make My Vote Count TYPES, but we'll see won't we?

posted 11/4/2005 by MJ Hibbett

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