We Want Change And It Is Time For Change To The Electoral System

I can never quite decide if politicians are treating the electorate like stupid children or if the politicians are so wrapped up in the bubble of political life that they truly believe the rubbish they are spouting.

It did feel a bit odd to see that the Labour party used an Elvis impersonator at an election gathering at the weekend. The Labour Party are trying to push a message of Policy over style while using an American pop legend to somehow add something to their campaign.

I lean towards the idea that the trades description act should apply to all statements made by parliamentary candidates and their parties. Manifesto promises are the only way we can reasonably judge who we vote for so surely they should have a legal responsibility to do what they say they will, if elected.

I am sick to death of the Tories telling me what Labour would do and Labour telling me what the Tories would do. Question their policies by all means but don’t you tell me what you don’t know is true as if it were a fact.

The electorate appear to be rather happy with the idea of a hung parliament but both Labour and the Conservatives are telling us we should not want that. Why? Because they say so. David Cameron has argued that it would lead to weak government but does he honestly believe that another term of Labour in a strong government would be good for the country?

He tells us that under the current system we can throw out a government. Please tell me how I do that as I have been trying ever since I started voting forty years ago and, thanks to the electoral system we have, my vote has never counted for anything more than a consolation prize for the loser. If I had never voted it would have made no difference. Is that supposed to make me feel that we have a great system for electing MPs?

I would prefer a proper debating chamber where every Act of Parliament was subject to proper scrutiny and debate. A Parliament that was required to reach a consensus on what was good for the country and fair for it’s citizens not just good for the party members of whoever was in power at the time.

We do not have that now but I hope that maybe at this election there has been sufficient anger aroused that the result of the election is not the foregone conclusion that it would previously have been. The two parties who have both felt that they were entitled to take turns at government must face up to the fact that we have a rotten system that is failing the people of this country.