Should we have a system of proportional representation, based on a single transferable vote, in the UK?

This was, I believe, advocated by Robin Cook, who fell off his twig, like John Smith. Should one suggest they might have been pushed this is greeted with incredulous scorn; so contemptible is the propaganda environment in this country. The US uses assassination as a basic technique in the rest of the world but clearly they would never do it here.

Big thing about single transferable vote is that you can vote for who you want without worrying that you'll 'let in the conservatives' or whoever it is that you don't want to let in.

As you know the voter simply numbers the candidates in order of preference on the polling sheet. So:

1 Dog lovers party

2 Fascists in caravans

3 Labour

and then put nothing next to 'Conservative'.

Should the dog lovers and the fascists not get many votes your vote is transferred to Labour and you have not risked letting in the Conservatives.

This throws a spoke in the wheel of the US technique of giving us near identical parties to vote for, all US fronts, but making a sufficient difference that you have to vote for one to keep the other one out.

TheCharl's excuses won't watch

The party in power never wants to change the system that put it there, and can always plead more urgent business.

For the first time, I find myself in agreement with someone whose party leaders have a track record (check them out in wikipedia) of admiring those firm, positive, decisive people who would have turned me into soap.

Yes

We can't even transfer money to pay our loans. changing the system of government is such a little line on the things to do list. Maybe in a couple of years get back to this issue, it is a good idea, but not top of the list. It like a Fire Chief sorting out the clean up before he has turned on the hose to put out a fire.

Yes. It would be a lot fairer.

Plaid Cymru got 3 seats with just 165,394 votes

the SNP got 6 seats with 491,386,

yet UKIP get none with 917,832. How the hell can you call that democracy? It just isn't.

Labour have been promising us electoral reform in 97, so don't hold your breath.