Tag Archives: English voting system.

THE BEADY EYE ASK’S; JUST WHAT IS A GENERAL ELECTION IN ENGLAND. THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE OR OTHERWISE.

30 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by in 2019: The Year of Disconnection., Democracy, ENGLAND'S SNAP ELECTION, England., English General Election., English parliamentary proceedings.

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

 

(Three-minute read)

British elections are decided using what is known as the First Past the Post (abbreviated FPTP, 1stP, 1PTP or FPP) voting system.

Along with no written constitution, it is the primary cause of all Britain’s dysfunction. 

You would think that a General Election is how the British public decide who they want to represent them in Parliament and ultimately run the country.

Wrong.

First past the post is a voting system designed to keep the electorate/country under the control of a two-party dictatorship while giving the delusion of democracy.

The candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins and becomes the MP for that seat. All other votes are disregarded.

As there is only one candidate from each party, voters who support that party but don’t like their candidate have to either vote for a party they don’t support or a candidate they don’t like. This means the number of MPs a party has in parliament rarely matches their popularity with the public.

Westminster’s voting system creates two sorts of areas. ‘Safe seats’, with such a low chance of changing hands that there is no point in campaigning, and ‘swing seats’, that could change hands.

Parties design their manifestos to appeal to voters in swing seats, and spend the majority of their funds campaigning in them. But, policies designed to appeal to voters in these seats may not help voters in the rest of the country.

Voters who live in safe seats can feel ignored by politicians. The more candidates with a chance of getting elected the fewer votes the winner needs.

Under Westminster’s First Past the Post system it is common for constituencies to elect MPs that more than half the voters didn’t want.

As the number of MPs a party gets doesn’t match their level of support with the public, it can be hard for the public to hold the government to account.

To combat this, voters try to second-guess the results.

If a voter thinks their favourite candidate can’t win, they may vote for one with the best chance of stopping a candidate they dislike from winning.

Democracy is the political system where the government represents the will of the people. There never has been a perfect democracy, there are only degrees of approximation, and democracy goes far beyond discussion of the voting system. Nevertheless, the voting system is an important element in shaping a democracy, and First Past the Post (FPTP) is woefully inadequate in expressing the will of the people because the vote never gets beyond the constituency boundary.

Worse still, a Government can be elected on the basis of 33% of votes cast, but considering turnout, this falls to 22% of those entitled to vote.

22%! One in five!! Yet idiot conservatives of right and left still defend FPTP.

Words fail to describe such a form of democracy.

What’s immediately needed to resolve the impasse on Brexit is a second referendum, since Brexit is a single issue and referendums are a ballot on a single issue.

First past the post (FPTP) is the first step to full radical reform in the UK.

It is time to change the system.

Most countries around the world use proportional voting systems – a party winning half the vote would win half the seats in parliament.

All comments appreciated. All like clicks and abuse chucked in the bin.

 

 

THE BEADY EYE ASK’S: WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME I HAVE GOT THIS WRONG.

24 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by in Brexit v EU - Negotiations., Democracy, Elections/ Voting, England., Heredity Monarchy., Modern Day Democracy., Political voting systems., Politics., Populism., Post - truth politics., Reality., The common good., The Obvious., The Queen., Unanswered Questions., WHAT IS TRUTH

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

 

(Three-minute read)

They say that mad dogs and English men come out in the noonday sun. Boris Johnson Shuts Down Donald Trump After Trump Talks ...

With 99 days until October 31, we have just witnessed a most undemocratic act.

THE ELECTION OF A NEW PRIMINISTER BY 0.2 PERCENT OF THE VOTING ELECTORSHIP WITHOUT AN GENERAL ELECTION (who has to ask the Queen for permission to form a Government.)

Never mind Brexit Daddy Trump likes him, so could be prime minister and then US president?

He was born in New York. In theory, he could leave Downing Street and move to the US and 14 years later enter the race for the White House.

However, there are the real Questions Great Brits should be asking themselves.

Is it time for a written constitution?

Is it time to scrap first past the post?

Is it time to revoke articular 50.  Stay in the European union till you have sorted yourselves out?

All human comments appreciated. All like clicks and abuse chucked in the bin.

 

 

 

THE BEADY EYE SAY’S: EVEN IF ENGLAND IS NOW FORCED INTO A GENERAL ELECTION WITH FIRST PAST THE POST IT WILL BE UNDEMOCRATIC.

23 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Brexit Language., Brexit Party., Brexit v EU - Negotiations., Brexit.

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

 

 

(Five-minute read)

 

Here we go again.

The right person to lead the country is being selected without any democratic scrutiny by the people of England.

It is no wonder that Brexit is tearing the country apart when so many are denied a voice.

Millions of voters go without a say in crucial national decisions – excluded not only from government but from holding the government to account.

In 3 of the last 4 general elections IN ENGLAND at least 50% of votes went to losing candidates.

First past the post.Résultat de recherche d'images pour "pictures of first past the post system uk"

A seat won by a 40,000 vote majority has the same outcome as a seat won by a single vote: both elect just a single MP.

Parliament in allowing an internal election of a new Conservative leader to become the Priminister is not only failing to reflect the people it is supposed to represent it is a form of Populous Dictatorship.

A minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy.

The latest developments to vindicate a New Primister for the country (who will, in fact, represent the choice of hundred thousand or so Conservervate members out of which 60% are over 50 years of age)  isn’t just bad for democracy; it’s bad for politics and society.

First Past the Post is completely undemocratic severing the link between votes and seats.

Bipolar politics is designed to promote argument, not thought.

So it’s not surprising that we are now witnessing the election of a New Priminister with an out of date spluttering system that is unable to represent its citizens or to negotiate England’s withdrawal from the European Union without a mandate that represents the country as a whole.

Its no wonder England has politicians who most of you didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have the power to govern the UK however they like.

Its no wonder we see the construction/ imposition of one ideology for a period, followed by another, quite different ideology.

Its no wonder we see both main parties cling to their roots with extraordinary tenacity, even when confronted with the obvious fact: the conditions in society giving rise to these ideologies have long gone.

But First Past the Post keeps them in business and allows them to continue to indulge their emotion-based policies – with taxation paying for this indulgence.

Unchallenged by a more competitive electoral system, the ‘left’ and the ‘right’ parties remain trapped in their histories and beliefs, seeking differentiation through adopting the opposite of the other.

First Past The Post has many hidden direct and indirect costs. These are unrecorded, unstated and considerable, in taxes, wasted economic capacity, and wealth appropriation. The costs of all of these zigzags are borne by taxation.

First past the post is a non- linear system a dazzlingly stupid way to organize a modern democracy. It provides the bare minimum of democracy, is unrepresentative for the majority, and distorts the allocation of power.

Finally, First Past The Post is the best electoral medium for preferential lobbying.

This scourge of democracy is near universal.

Its elimination can only be achieved through a complete redesign of systems of government.

 

 

It may be simple to write an “X” next to a chosen candidate, but it’s incredibly difficult to know what that vote will mean. Millions of voters are forced to try to vote tactically by anticipating the decisions of other voters.

PR makes sure the share of seats each party gets matches the share of votes they receive. If a party gets 20% of the vote, it wins 20% of the seats. Parliament would accurately represent the people’s range of views and perspectives.

The opposition to PR Says:

We need the strong government that only first past the post can give’ and, by inference, not the namby-pamby government from coalitions and other inadequacies.

Sounds good, does it not?

Flutters the spine?

Makes one stand up straight.

I would say that the voting population of England is intelligent, much more has to change in all of these systems, including the EU.

Systems of government with PR suffer from many of the same failures and poor performance as the UK’s First Past The Post but,

does not allow the lending of votes to one candidate in order to knock out another to become Primisister  

The unseen consequences are about to be seen.

All human comments appreciated. All like clicks and abuse chucked in the bin.

 

 

 

 

 

THE BEADY EYE ASK’S: IS IT TIME TO DISMANTLE THE ARCHAIC MONARCHY IN ENGLAND.

14 Tuesday May 2019

Posted by in Democracy, Elections/ Voting, England., First past the post., Heredity Monarchy., Modern Day Democracy., Populism., Post - truth politics., The Obvious., The Queen., What needs to change in European Union.

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

 

( A two-minute thought)

In a previous post, I posted this question.

Who are the European Union negotiating with when it comes to Brexit.

Is it England, Britain, the United Kingdom, or is it the Queen?Résultat de recherche d'images pour "pictures of the royal family today"

The serious question is this;

How will English Democracy and its institutions be dragged into the 21st century after Brexit while bowing to a feudal system?

The Queen cannot be blamed but she presides over the institutions that symbolise and legitimises the inequalities that have lead to Brexit

The First Past the post-politics, representation infiltrated by Social Media cannot cope with globalisation, migration, or technological changes.

Only when the monarchy is replaced and ordinary people become true citizens not surfs will constitutional reform be possible.

By all means, protect the historical pomp that acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride and tourism; gives a sense of stability and continuity but remove the hereditary privileges with a written constitution.

Only then can England become a sovereign country.

The Crown Estate holds many more assets than those listed above. Here is a snapshot of the sheer scale and volume of its assets, ranging from retail parks to forests to Scottish oyster farms.

Here is a snapshot of the sheer scale and volume of her assets.

The Crown Estate announced in June last year that it returned a

record £328.8 million ($464 million) to the Treasury in 2016 as

the value of the overall estate rose to an astonishing £13.1

billion ($18.5 billion).

Forests:

The Crown Estate holds around 11,000 hectares of forestry in

areas including Berkshire, Somerset, and Cairngorms in

Scotland.

Wind farms:

The Crown Estate owns a £1.1 billion ($1.5 billion) offshore

energy empire which includes 30 wind farms.

The Savoy, London:

The Queen privately owns an 18,433-hectare estate called the

Duchy of Lancaster.

Historic Castles:

The Duchy of Lancaster also holds around a dozen historic

properties, including Lancaster Castle in Lancashire and

Pickering Castle in Yorkshire.

Sandringham House, Norfolk:

The 8,000-hectare estate in Norfolk, England, is privately owned by the Queen.

Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire: 20,000-hectare.

Ascot Racecourse in the south of England is part of the Crown

Estate.

Regent Street & St James’s Market, London: The Crown Estate

owns the entirety of Regent Street in London.

The Crown Estate owns around 106,000 hectares (263,000

acres) of farmland across the UK.

The Crown owns the rights to salmon fishing and gold mining in

Scotland.

Windsor Castle & Great Park, Berkshire: 6,400-hectare.

She does not own her official residence, Buckingham Palace.

She merely occupies the 775-room home, which is held in trust

for future generations by the Crown Estates.

So, to sum it all up, the Queen owns 2 homes (Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle), while the rest of her residences are owned by the Crown Estates.

All royals are millionaires.

All human comments appreciated. All like clicks and abuse chucked in the bin.

 

 

THE BEADY EYE SAY’S: FIRST-PAST-THE-POST-IS AN ARCHAIC SYSTEM. MOST OF THE WORLD HAS MOVED ON.

25 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by in Brexit Language., Brexit v EU - Negotiations., Brexit.

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

 

(Three-minute read)

In or out England is now facing an uncertain constitutional future.Résultat de recherche d'images pour "First-past-the-post is a voting system that consistently and unpredictably skews election results in ways few can predict until the votes have been counted."

There is no doubt that the language of Brexit has contributed ( see the previous post) but the voting system has also made a major contribution.

First-past-the-post is a voting system that consistently and unpredictably skews election results in ways few can predict until the votes have been counted.

First Past the Post’s is an old colonial voting system?

Canada, the U.S. and the UK are the last countries hanging on to first-past-the-post – and even the UK uses proportional systems for its devolved assemblies.

One of the most common laments about electoral reform is that politicians will never change the system that elected them.

More than half of Uk voters live in constituencies where the result is a foregone conclusion. Living in a “safe seat” makes voting feel especially futile.

In most elections with first-past-the-post, about half the voters cast a ballot which elects no-one and has no impact on the election result.

It certainly does not encourage people to turn out and vote.

With Brexit. The adhesive that binds parties together under first past the post is diluting

When one party has 100% of the power with 39% of the vote, there’s no need to take anyone else’s views into account – even when voters want them to do just that.

With proportional representation, no matter what party you support or where you live, your vote counts. Politicians know they must pay attention to every voter and every riding!

With proportional representation, parties must work together. Cooperation between parties in a coalition or other cooperative agreement – shared credit and shared accountability – becomes the norm.

With proportional representation, you vote for what you truly believe in.

Brexit is the first step in fixing politics at the centre, to reform the electoral system.

Politics, they say, “is dominated by the far-left and the far-right”.

Decision-making is easier for big parties when it rests with a small group of strategists whose main job is to cater to their party’s base of voters and make their party look good.

English two main parties have good reason to fear transition to proportional representation, but not necessarily for the reasons often cited.

Why?

Because proportional representation substantially increases the number of parties overall. It would challenge their monopoly on political power in Westminster.

It would reduce their ideology to an argument about their side being better than the other.

It would enable people to vote for parties that more closely represent their own views, without the fear that this party will not be accordingly represented in Parliament.

It takes us away from binary choices and towards a system that is based on power-sharing and compromise.

Look closely and what could be the embryonic beginnings of a new party are there but with the first past, the post electoral system makes it difficult for new parties to win seats in general elections.

Sometimes first-past-the-post even produces a “wrong winner” election – when one party receives more popular support, but another party gets to govern with a majority!

Bolstered by a two-party system that discourages fluidity of ideology and legitimises binary decision-making. This enables the two main parties to clash in a partisan manner that is unrepresentative of a diverse country and makes complex issues such as leaving the European Union more difficult to resolve.

Many proportional representation systems mean you’ll have more than one candidate of the same party to choose from.

This means voters can ensure the candidates from each party get elected, and those that aren’t responsive to voters aren’t re-elected.

Ask any Algorithm. The current event in English Parlement renders First Past the post wrong.

All human comments appreciated. All like clicks and abuse chucked in the bin.