Wednesday 20 May 2009

A fair voting system

As a member of the Liberal Democrats I have a vote when there is a Liberal Democrat leadership election. I also have a vote to put candidates in order for the party list system in the European elections. You know that the European election is based on proportional representation, and there are eight MEP places in the North West. If you have a quarter of the vote you get two MEPs, one eighth you get one, and so on.

So we already have a rough idea who will be elected. My concern is that we don’t have a system that can weed out MEPs (or MPs) who behave disgracefully as we have seen in the expenses scandal.

I know how the Liberal Democrats placed their candidates in order. How do Labour and Conservatives place their candidates in order? Who punishes MPS and MEPs if they misbehave? Look back in the blogs and you will see my reservations about list systems but my worry in this blog is that the electorate or at least party members have no power to deselect rogue MPs and MEPs.

Change the world.

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