Sunday, June 14, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Change the Government not the Voting System
You couldn't make it up! Our unelected Prime Minister Gordon Brown is now pushing for a change to the voting system by which we elected our MPs.
He wants to tinker with the electoral system but he won't call a General Election. Nor will he honour his promise to have a public vote on the Treaty of Lisbon, which proposes transferring even more power from Britain to Brussels.
During the many weeks I spent knocking doors for the European Elections, not once did anyone say to me that they wanted a change to the voting system. Time after time however people said they want a General Election, to have their say on Gordon Brown's leadership and the performance of this Government.
Call me a cynic but I cannot for one minute believe that Gordon Brown would opt for Proportional Representation for any other reason than to try and cling on to power at the next election. He wants to change the rules because he thinks he will lose. Democracy and the country come last with this Prime Minister. His self interest is all that matters.
Having just gone through a European Election we have seen first hand what a confusing system Proportional Representation is. It gives more power to political parties and their whips and it distances politicians from their voters by breaking or loosening the constituency link that exists in the First Past the Post system. What we want now is more accountability from our politicians, not less. We have also seen the scandal of the first BNP MEPs elected under the Proportional Representation system.
If Gordon Brown wants to reinvigorate democracy in this country I have a few suggestions. Give us the referendum he promised on the European Constitution, scrap the quangos and re-establish the importance of Parliament, transfer powers to local government so that decisions are taken closer to the people, stop the briefing against Ministers and MPs who disagree with him, have an elected House of Lords to replace the appointment of cronies and party donors to the upper house, introduce recall elections for MPs where they have lost the faith and trust of their constituents and most importantly of all have the General Election that the public are demanding to bring new blood and a new culture to Westminster.
He wants to tinker with the electoral system but he won't call a General Election. Nor will he honour his promise to have a public vote on the Treaty of Lisbon, which proposes transferring even more power from Britain to Brussels.
During the many weeks I spent knocking doors for the European Elections, not once did anyone say to me that they wanted a change to the voting system. Time after time however people said they want a General Election, to have their say on Gordon Brown's leadership and the performance of this Government.
Call me a cynic but I cannot for one minute believe that Gordon Brown would opt for Proportional Representation for any other reason than to try and cling on to power at the next election. He wants to change the rules because he thinks he will lose. Democracy and the country come last with this Prime Minister. His self interest is all that matters.
Having just gone through a European Election we have seen first hand what a confusing system Proportional Representation is. It gives more power to political parties and their whips and it distances politicians from their voters by breaking or loosening the constituency link that exists in the First Past the Post system. What we want now is more accountability from our politicians, not less. We have also seen the scandal of the first BNP MEPs elected under the Proportional Representation system.
If Gordon Brown wants to reinvigorate democracy in this country I have a few suggestions. Give us the referendum he promised on the European Constitution, scrap the quangos and re-establish the importance of Parliament, transfer powers to local government so that decisions are taken closer to the people, stop the briefing against Ministers and MPs who disagree with him, have an elected House of Lords to replace the appointment of cronies and party donors to the upper house, introduce recall elections for MPs where they have lost the faith and trust of their constituents and most importantly of all have the General Election that the public are demanding to bring new blood and a new culture to Westminster.
The Conservatives are the only challenger to Labour in Southampton
The results of the European Elections for Southampton can be found HERE.
It was a good result for the Conservatives who topped the poll, with 50% more votes than Labour. Labour were very nearly knocked into third place by UKIP. The Lib Dem vote collapsed with them coming fifth behind the Greens.
It is now clearly a two horse race in Southampton at the next General Election with the Conservatives the only viable challenger to Labour in the city.
It was a good result for the Conservatives who topped the poll, with 50% more votes than Labour. Labour were very nearly knocked into third place by UKIP. The Lib Dem vote collapsed with them coming fifth behind the Greens.
It is now clearly a two horse race in Southampton at the next General Election with the Conservatives the only viable challenger to Labour in the city.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Vote Conservative Today
Britain cannot afford another year of Labour. Today's European Election is an opportunity to show Gordon Brown that the country wants an immediate General Election and wants change. The only way that can be achieved is with a good result for the Conservatives.
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