Alternative Vote and Ieuan Wyn Jones
Proportional representation is a great idea in principle. Like many others, it is an idea that perhaps works better in theory.
Proportional representation is a great idea in principle. Like many others, it is an idea that perhaps works better in theory. One of my greatest concerns regarding PR is way in which such electoral systems can break the link between a politician and the electors. We have seen through the European and Welsh electoral region constituencies that PR has broken the link between the voters. Who outside our little world can name their regional AMs or MEPs?
Peter Hain highlighted in yesterday’s Guardian the idea of Alternative Vote. I agree with his analysis and such a system may be instigated without a referendum or a rearrangement of constituencies. I do recognise that potentially 49% of votes cast may still be wasted, but at least a candidate will require a genuine majority in order to win.
I believe the House of Lords should be completely elected through PR to redress the balance. Their role would not be to represent constituents but to spent time scrutinising legislation. As a result of such a system, the government would never have a majority in the upper house and will have to negotiate and compromise when driving new legislation through Parliament.
Again, the Guardian’s ‘A New Politics’ series is leading in some great discussion over the constitutional future.
Ieuan Wyn Jones on the Morality of Parliament
Ieuan Wyn Jones’ imminent speech to an audience in Caernarfon will be completely misguided. The problems at Westminster have brought entire political class into disrepute, as Peter Black has rightly written. The scandal has also revealed a constitutional need to completely reform British politics, including that of the Welsh Assembly and local government.
The National Assembly, although a far more open body than the British Parliament is still very closed to the public. AMs have worked endlessly to restrict the powers of local authorities in order to consolidate their own positions. AMs will need to look at how the Welsh system will need to be reformed, looking at ideas such as recall elections, publicly sponsored referenda and devolving power to county and community councils.