Issues facing the Government
That 32 per cent weren’t bothered is shameful.
That the massed socialist opposition of Labour/Lib-Dems/Greens would still fail to beat the incumbent Tory if UKIP’s pan-party votes were spread proportionately across the political spectrum, shows Amber Rudd fairly won the majority (Letters/Rye View 15/5/15).
For all its faults First Past the Post brings stable government, whereas PR coalitions stymie progress (Belgium had no government for a record 541 days) and discriminates against free-minded Independents.
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Hide AdLabour favours FPTP and opposes the necessary boundary changes which would benefit the Tories!
No system is perfect. But if no candidate achieves 51 per cent, then a costly French-style run-off between the top two is a sensible Hobson’s Choice between the lesser of two evils.
The petulant Lib-Dem’s AV PR system was soundly rejected because AV encourages devious tactical voting, pre-empting a second, predetermined count.
That is undemocratic. For government at Westminster to succeed, it must be an honourable debating chamber of mature politicians, who evolve over time, but PR coalitions encourage self-interested, opportunist minority misfits to wag the government’s tail.
That is undemocratic and dangerous.
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Hide AdOur biggest test of democracy will be the EU in/out referendum.
Without an open, honest, adult debate (long denied us) and, crucially, a multi-question or follow-up referendum, a single question referendum will be a sham.
We must be asked: 1 - Do we wish to remain in a supranational, wholly political Union (The EU, by definition - the Tory’s choice)? Yes/No?
2 - if ‘No’, should we seek to restore the EEC Custom Union and recover competences, knowing the EU will never allow any Treaty change?
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Hide Ad3 - or leave the political EU and engage in non-political, mutually beneficial Free Trade agreements with the EU and the free world of 165 nations under the UN’s WTO rules?
If the Tories/Labour/Lib-Dems/Greens truly believe in democracy, then the electorate must be allowed that meaningful debate and choice over our relationship with the political EU.
That is democracy.
Barry M Jones,
Bixley Lane,
Beckley,
Rye