tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881762807913180318.post8003112499394943094..comments2024-01-23T16:53:02.428+00:00Comments on Mark Thompson: GerrymanderingMark Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00744387583593537268noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881762807913180318.post-25001223931562048002013-04-27T16:24:27.805+01:002013-04-27T16:24:27.805+01:00The core goal of Proportional Representation is th...The core goal of Proportional Representation is that each vote for each party contributes equally to the number of votes the party has in the parliament, regardless of where each vote is cast. <br /><br />This is best achieved by giving the electorate two votes rather than one – one for the candidate to represent the constituency, and one for the party to determine the balance of votes in the parliament, and which party or parties are able to form the Government. <br /><br />If votes for the party are aggregated nationally, gerrymandering for national party advantage is not possible, and it doesn’t matter how you draw constituency boundaries. <br /><br />The problem of gerrymandering for individual personal (rather than party) advantage remains, but this is has much less significance. Equal sized constituencies might be seen as desirable as a way of equalising MPs’ work load, but again it is a local rather than national matter.<br />Stephen Johnsonhttp://www.dprvoting.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881762807913180318.post-13777826490933678852013-04-26T17:56:06.484+01:002013-04-26T17:56:06.484+01:00Ah, but "unfair" with regards to who in ...Ah, but "unfair" with regards to who in particular - the Lib Dems? Labour's cries of "gerrymandering" stem from the fear the should any major boundary changes take place, it would be highly unlikely that they would be able to ever form a majority again. I feel the Lib Dem calls for electoral reform come from the fear that under FPTP, they will never be an electable third party. Michael Emanuelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881762807913180318.post-69404236772090323312013-04-26T12:25:24.027+01:002013-04-26T12:25:24.027+01:00You have only to look at the continuing resentment...You have only to look at the continuing resentment expressed by the Central Belt Labour MPs against the Lib Dems for extracting STV as part of the coalition agreement following the Scottish elections in 2003. This has largely broken the stranglehold Labour had across the Central Belt which these stalinists wish back. It is of course the same mentality that most the Tory party has agaisnt any sort of electoral reform.Richard Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07839924098929875524noreply@blogger.com