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Electoral Reform

Electoral Reform. AV referendum and PR Joy Johnson week 5. Electoral systems – key texts. Morrison, essential public affairs for journalists ch . 4 King, British constitution Laws, 22 Days in May Renwick, a citizen’s guide to electoral reform

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Electoral Reform

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  1. Electoral Reform AV referendum and PR Joy Johnson week 5

  2. Electoral systems – key texts • Morrison, essential public affairs for journalists ch. 4 • King, British constitution • Laws, 22 Days in May • Renwick, a citizen’s guide to electoral reform • Kavanagh & Cowley, the British General Election of 2010 • Various papers inc: • John Curtice, Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 63 No. 4, 2010, 623–638 • Monica Threlfall, Purpose of Electoral Reform, Political Quarterly Vol 81, No 4 + her website has various papers on AV

  3. Labour defend their positionConservatives didn’t win a majority - result a hung Parliament • UK polarised – Conservative in the South, Labour in the North and Scotland • the strongest argument of the supporters of First Past the Post (winner takes all) that it produces clear government majorities has failed • NB. Similarly PR which was meant to stop a clear victor failed in Scotland with majority SNP administration

  4. Day after the night before • Clegg addressed media following the 2010 general election • With no outright winner he tells reporters that he would talk to the Conservatives as they had the most votes • He declared that this election showed that the present system is broken • Love-in in the Downing Street Garden

  5. Result of 2005 UK Gen Election • Party %votes No of seats % seats • Labour 35.3 356 55.1 • Con 32.3 198 30.7 • Lib Dem 22.1 62 9.6 • Other 10.3 30 4.6

  6. Result • Labour’s majority reduced from 2001 yet the party achieved 55 per cent share of H of C seats with just 35 per cent of the national vote. • Majority of the seats with a minority of the votes

  7. 2010 election • NB Conservatives now have one MP in Scotland

  8. Majoritarian systems • Term used to classify candidates who win by obtaining majority of votes cast • (first past the post can result in candidates winning on fewer than half the total votes cast)

  9. Types of majoritarian • Supplementary vote – used in London Mayoral election • If only two candidates first past the post used • More than two • Votes cast on preference 1st and 2nd choice • If candidate wins more than half (majority) he or she elected • If not others drop out and their 2nd preference redistributed

  10. Alternative Vote (AV) • Lib Dems compromise to get the agreement • Referendum 5 May 2011 • Referendum on AV had been in Labour 2010 manifesto • Preferential not proportional • All candidates ranked in order • When all votes cast if one candidate has won over 50% elected • If not candidate with the fewer first preference is eliminated and his or her are redistributed • Last candidate eliminated • Eventually candidate with more than 50% wins • More than 50% produces legitimacy • Least unpopular wins • Elector’s first choice not counted

  11. AV cont • Still has single member constituency • Shouldn’t produce extremist parties • Result of this system would be the election of many candidates who were not the first choice of most of the electorate • Leading to least common denominator of the electorate • Nick Clegg in the past had called it a ‘miserable little compromise’ but this was before the coalition government • This statement came back to haunt him and was used against him during the referendum • Political parties still retain power to chose candidates

  12. Proportional Representation • In systems of proportional representation, every party provides a list of candidates for selection on a regional or national basis. • These lists may be open or closed: an open list means electors have the ability to indicate some preference over which of the candidates they choose from the party list; a closed list means electors must vote for the party as a whole and the list is presented to them as a fait accompli.  • Each party standing for election wins seats in accordance with the proportion of votes it receives. A closed list system is used for European parliamentary elections.

  13. London Assembly – 2008 election

  14. Referendum on AV5 May 2011 • Tories favoured first past the post • So did most Labour MPs although Miliband supported AV • Lib Dems got the referendum as part of coalition agreement trading • They didn’t get a commitment that officially they wouldn’t vigorously campaign against it p23 Baston and Ritchie Don’t Take No For An Answer • By the time of the referendum Lib Dem brand had become contaminated • First past the post fought ruthless personal campaign

  15. Why did AV campaigners lose • UK 2010 general election produced coalition on first past the post • Referendum held on the same day as other elections • Turn out high • Fear of change • People didn’t see the necessity for changing how we vote • FPTP – played up cost of change

  16. AV campaigners failed • AV campaigners failed to understand that they needed to fight and win a single issue campaign, not an election. • No to AV camp had the easier task. • No-ers didn’t have to win the case for first past the post (FPTP) – they simply had to convince people the case for AV was unproven.

  17. Clegg factor • The ‘No’ campaign ramped up the fear factor, pumped up the volume of their indignation, exaggerated the threat of AV, and personified the enemy. Vote no, or get Nick Clegg – forever. Save the world from Clegg.

  18. Electoral Reform/Parliamentary reform • PR off the agenda for years • Boundary changes • Reduction in the number of MPs • Fixed term Parliaments • Open primaries Conservatives tried these at the last election (Dr Wolloston MP for Totness) • House of Lords reform going through Parliament

  19. House of Lords reform • Pursued by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg • Labour’s leader in the Lords, Lady Royall warns in Guardian 9 Feb, 2012 that if it becomes centre piece of the next Queen’s Speech they will not be able to scrutinise any other bills

  20. David Steel • Private members’ bill • To allow for the House to expel peers and early retirements to help reduce the Lords’ hefty numbers.

  21. Tensions between Govt and Lords • Significant number of defeats for govt on welfare Bill – govt introduced ‘financial privilege’ • Defeats also on Health and Social Care Bill • Conservatives appointing more coalition lords to avoid further defeats in the Lords

  22. Stages of the Bill • http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-12/houseoflordsreformhl.html

  23. seminars • Different types of voting systems • Voting day • House of Lords reform

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