Want to make your vote matter? Feel that now, more than ever, we need a system that prevents an arrogant, corrupt and incompetent government (elected by a minority) from riding roughshod over every standard of decency, honesty and integrity?
You do vote, right? Every election? You don’t bother? Why is that? Ahh. OK. You live in a safe seat where it seems like a cowpat or a sandcastle with the ‘correct’ colour rosette would get elected – especially here in the West Country.
So you feel your vote is wasted. You tried voting tactically, but that didn’t work either because the opposition vote was split, so now you’ve given up. You feel powerless and disenfranchised.
Well, you and me both, my friend.
First past the post stinks. Only one other country in Europe relies on it. Belarus. Yeah. Belarus. That bastion of democracy.
So what are we going to do about it? Shrug? Really?
Make Votes Matter (MVM) is a single-issue campaign for proportional representation (PR) in the House of Commons. The campaign have declared a Day of Action for Saturday 22 August and are encouraging citizens to get out and take a stand for better, fairer democratic representation.
Emma Knaggs, Grassroots Leader at MVM, said:
“We need to change to a system of Proportional Representation so that votes count equally, and governments represent the diversity of people and views in our communities and society. It’s absolutely critical to people’s participation and faith in democracy. “
The response to our Make Votes Matter Day of Action campaign has been fantastic, with people overcoming the current Covid-19 restrictions safely by picking up placards and taking pictures at local landmarks across the UK. The interest in our campaign shows the growing appetite for change amongst the electorate.”
You can also sign this petition: https://www.makevotesmatter.org.uk/sign-petition
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD VOTING SYSTEMS FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS:
1. PROPORTIONALITY: Good systems ensure that seats closely match votes, with parliamentary representation at least as proportional as the Scottish Parliament.
2. REPRESENTATION: Good systems ensure MPs and governments represent the views of the voters.
3. EQUAL VOTES: Good systems ensure the value of individual votes is not distorted by factors such as geography, and minimise the need for tactical voting.
4. LOCAL LINKS: Good systems maintain links between MPs and specific geographic areas.
5. DIVERSITY: Good systems encourage the election of parliaments reflecting the population.
6. VOTER CHOICE: Good systems allow voters a wide choice of parties, and allow voters to express preferences for people rather than just parties. Any lists used must be democratically determined.
7. ACCOUNTABILITY: Good systems ensure MPs and governments are accountable to the voters.
8. BALANCE OF STABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY: Good systems engender stable, flexible government that has the ability to compromise.
9. SUSTAINABILITY AND ADAPTABILITY: Good systems are able to respond and adapt to changing needs without requiring frequent or fundamental change.
10. VOTING SIMPLICITY: Good systems and ballot papers are easy for voters to understand and use.
For more information, visit the MVM website.
