MP: Electoral reform is low priority
Monday 3rd August 2009, 9:30AM BST.
Making changes to the way politicians are elected is a low priority for Shropshire people, a county MP claimed today.
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski says that in four-and-a-half years doing the job none of his constituents have contacted him to express any desire to change the country’s voting system.
The revelation comes as Mr Kawczynski revealed that he is to challenge electoral reform campaigners to a debate.
The Tory MP is a staunch supporter of the existing first past the post system and chairs an all-party parliamentary group which aims to preserve the status quo.
He has challenged members of the Electoral Reform Society, which promotes the model of proportional representation, to a debate in October.
Mr Kawczynski said: “The society is making a great deal of headway in its efforts to lobby the Prime Minister on this subject.
“This is a matter of real and immediate concern, and cannot be left at the mercy of back-room deals in smoke-filled rooms.
“I find it deeply disturbing that people are agitating for such a move when the economic outlook for the country is so bleak and when real political change is so desperately needed.
“In the four and a half years as MP for Shrewsbury, not a single constituent has written to me or telephoned me or spoken to me about their desire to change the voting system.”
He added he will be joined by co-chairman of the APPG for first past the post, Brian Donohoe MP for Central Ayrshire in Scotland where Mr Kawczynski says there is evidence of proportional representation weakening democracy.
He added: “Interestingly, Scottish Labour Members make up the largest contingent of APPG attendees.
“They have witnessed first hand the chaos and instability that proportional representation has brought to government in Scotland.
“North of the border, a weak minority government has been temporarily held hostage by two Green Party Members of the Scottish Parliament, who threatened to block its budget.”
The debate is due to take place on a date to be fixed in October, he said.
By Tom Johannsen
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This is probably because the public don’t believe that those that benefit from the system will work to change it. What a terrible choice the country is faced with at next years election. Brown who has abandoned Labour principles, Cameron who has abandoned Conservative ones. The exception is Clegg who has continued to follow his principles in Last of The Summer Wine. Good luck Britain.
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its called democracy mr Kawczynski!
Just look what the first past the post system has done for our once great country, could we do worse? look at the selection of politicians we have ended up with and an unelected prime minister.Your constituants know quite well that the big two will never let this little game of dosey doe stop, especially when both politcal parties have pretty much the same policies and vested interests.
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The trouble with first past the post is the minority always run the Country,
Its the same at every election.
If at the next election the Consevatives get in they will do so with around 38% to 40% of the votes. Labour will get about 30% and the rest around 30%.
So with less than half the country voting for them they will run the country.
Basically 60% don’t want them to run the country
Doesn’t seem right to me.
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Well as one Shrewsbury resident I strongly support a change to the voting system, which is getting more and more ludicrous with every passing election. I certainly hope our MP attempts to engage with the arguments on giving greater voter choice on those rare occasions when they can actually use a ballot paper.
It is interesting he is making common cause with Labour dinosaurs in Scotland who don’t like being turfed out of power by smaller parties (such as the Scottish Tories!) who at last are getting a fair representation of seats.
The latest example of unfairness is the Unitary Council elections, where the Conservatives won threequarters of the seats but on a far lower share of the actual vote. The Conservatives are not as popular as the election results suggest, they very rarely win a majority of votes but clearly our MP is determined that we accept another true blue landslide of seats at the general election next year. We do need a change in this country, a change to the system. Single party governments unsupported by the majority of voters do not work, whether Tory or Labour, or LibDem for that matter.
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