The winds of change.

I don't know that I approve of the proposed Alternative Vote System (AV). I am unsure about all this. This is how I understand things:

Under AV, candidates are still elected, as at present, from single-member constituencies under the Alternative Vote (AV) system.

Instead of putting a cross next to one person on a ballot paper as at present, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If none gets a majority of first preference votes the candidate who comes last is eliminated. The second preference votes on the loser’s ballot papers are then given to other candidates. This continues until one candidate has more than 50% of votes and is declared the winner.

The main concern regarding the current first-past-the-post system (FPTP) has been the “waste” of votes in those constituencies regarded as being “safe seats”. The “Winner Takes All” system, it is argued, effectively disenfranchises all those people who did not vote for the winner. Most winning Parties will come to power elected only by a minority of the electorate.

I am not a political person, I have no particular knowledge of Politics, but I am worried about these proposals. I can see that with out some kind of reform the Lib Dems will never get anywhere, but perhaps that is just as well the way they are holding the other two parties to ransom this week. A disappointing performance when the country is in crisis. Shabby.