tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994073177496022401.post199372626297300267..comments2024-03-27T15:00:33.760+00:00Comments on Catholic Commentary: AVs and AV notsJoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09339499088443959192noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994073177496022401.post-71039190574327924222011-05-06T10:17:45.510+01:002011-05-06T10:17:45.510+01:00It seems to me the referendum on this subject is a...It seems to me the referendum on this subject is a distraction and diversion in the way of the ancient 'bread and circuses' approach of the Romans. It does not in anyway address the underlying problem with the political system which is that the central party machines have pretty much total control over candidates. As such, the people are only offered candidates that suit the central control, not candidates that are representative of the locality. The loyalty of these candidates is to the party not the constituents. Until that is sorted, by the constituency partys demanding the right to select their own candidates, then fiddling around with complex voting systems is a way of keeping the electorate busy so that they don't notice how little influence they actually have.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994073177496022401.post-10003333736101615162011-05-05T12:36:57.254+01:002011-05-05T12:36:57.254+01:00I think this puts it in a more secular perspective...I think this puts it in a more secular perspective!<br /><br />http://brightgreenscotland.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/av_illustrated-with_beer.pngAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02808508494613360369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994073177496022401.post-20826819702951499282011-05-04T21:17:43.461+01:002011-05-04T21:17:43.461+01:00The question of which party/parties would do best ...The question of which party/parties would do best out of it is perhaps not really relevant. The real question has to be is it just? At present we are asked to choose one candidate. If one takes this choice seriously it is not an easy one but it is surely far easier to make that decision than to place the candidates in sequence. I say this as one who is inclined, as I get older,to dislike all of the candidates.Patriciushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08906131174326742939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994073177496022401.post-71722544408971109002011-05-04T20:13:22.658+01:002011-05-04T20:13:22.658+01:00The only (fairly) certain outcome of a change to A...The only (fairly) certain outcome of a change to AV is that the Liberal Democrats will win more seats than they would do under the present system. (Hence they are strongly in favour of AV.) How it would affect the two biggest parties would depend on how (mainly) Lib Dem voters allocate their second preferences. Thus the Electoral Reform Society estimates (guesses?) that in 2005 Labour would have gained an extra 10 seats because Lib Dem voters would have been more likely to have allocated their second preferences to Labour rather than the Conservatives. They also estimate that the Conservatives would have won 8 fewer seats. Thus instead of Labour 356, Con 183 and LD 62 the outcome would have been Lab 366, Con 175 and LD 74. In 1979 and 1983, however, it is quite likely that Lib Dem voters would have allocated more of their second preferences to the Conservatives, thus increasing the already exaggerated Conservative majority and reducing the number of Labour seats.<br /><br />Thus at the national level the outcome would have been very similar under the two systems except that the Government majority over the second-placed party would have been bigger and the Lib Dems would have won a few more seats.<br /><br />Give that (of the three biggest parties) the Lib Dems are the most secular party and the most enthusiastic about equal ‘rights’ for homosexuals (and thus diminished rights for Christians) is the Alternative Vote a good system from a Catholic point of view? (The Lib Dems are also officially in favour of assisted suicide and strongly opposed to ‘faith’ schools.)<br /><br />As to parties trying to broaden their appeal to win second preferences there hasn’t been much sign of that happening in Scotland since the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote for local elections.Mikenoreply@blogger.com