Forum Topic

Vote YES to AV

Is it fair that well over half of all UK voters are represented by someone they didn't vote for? No? Then vote YES to AV for some small improvement.

Susan Kelly ● 5453d17 Comments

Which was not the kind of maturity or self awareness that I was talking about.

George Knox ● 5451d

No it was a state of the art 25inch Sony Trinitron and digital terrestrial television was yet to be launched.The maturity of which I speak is the discernment to act on issues rather than following the stampeding political herd.I find it refreshing when presents a well reasoned view - if I agree with it or not - rather than chanting party dogma.

Marc Races ● 5451d

Perhaps you were more impressed a couple of decades ago because you possibly had not reached that level of maturity that these days you benignly dispense on those who appear to agree with you.Or was it that you just owned a cheap TV with poor reception?

George Knox ● 5451d

Your statement is logical, the reasoning is good, and it shows maturity as you are clearly looking at individual issues rather following the stampeding herd. What today's politicians fail to realise that the public increasingly better informed (in spite of Ealing Council's best efforts) and are able to think increasingly for themselves.Being able to pull the wool over peoples eyes is getting progressively harder.Did you notice how much less impressive the Royal Wedding looked simply when watched on digital television, compared with a decade of two ago due to the detail that we now see in the picture?Marc

Marc Races ● 5451d

As a Labour Voter at the last election, i agree that the coalition was the only way to go. i also voted yes. I also criticise what labour have done locally in hitting the poor. the libdems have affected the tax policy to raise thresholds which directly affect the lower paid. something labour would not do. so i will accept a no decision if that is what people want.

Peter Chadburn ● 5451d

'How can the 20 or 30% of people that have bothered to vote today in the referendum decide for everyone else?'Because we're the ones who bothered to vote. The rest, who couldn't be arsed, have to accept our decision.I'm in the YES camp and I don't hate the Coalition. What evidence have you for your claim?

Susan Kelly ● 5452d

If we really want to change anything in the voting system, the first thing that needs doing is to make voting compulsory. Whatever the result is going to be tomorrow it will still fraud. How can the 20 or 30% of people that have bothered to vote today in the referendum decide for everyone else?As for those in the 'yes' camp, most of whom seems to hate the present coalition government, are you really sure that you want more of the same from now on? Because not only this is what you are going to get time and time again but regardless of which majority party leads the coalition you will get the same ministers and parties swapping roles and leadership but in the end it will always be the same people playing 'musical chairs' that will end up being elected. You think it is bad now? You haven't seen nothing yet!

Rosa Popham ● 5452d

And that is whay AV is so popular among the world's democracies - NOT!Five European states have had referenda all have rejected it, the UK will make that six tomorrow.

Nigel Brooks ● 5452d

I am not sure about that. Two things come to mind:a) There is a limit to the looney things that you can do before people notice and react against. Generally change is catastrophic with oscillations around the change point (a percentage here and a percentage there) before a major change happens to something that appears immovable (a phenomenon known as hysterisis). The defection of half-a-dozen Southall Labour Councillors to the Conservatives after being elected the election before last is indicative that some thinking (albeit not very honourable thinking) is going on in Southall generally.and,b) That the Ealing Labour Party addresses three parliamentary constituencies and if Labour wants to improve its showing in Ealing the other two MP candidates and thir backers might have something to say about the present "London Borough of Southall" phenomenon in Ealing Borough.

Marc Races ● 5452d

I dont think that it is a step in the right direction though I would argue that sometimes you have to try something to work out whether you like it.

Camilla Horsfall ● 5452d

Ealing Southall will always be a safe Labour seat whatever the Council does and whether the voting system is AV or FPTP

James de Vivenot ● 5452d

...even if it is a step in the wrong direction?

James de Vivenot ● 5452d

In this age of the internet and accessible information any step towards improved democracy is a good thing. As ancient sages used to say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step so the path to democracy starts with AV.I am voting Yes to AV.Camilla.

Camilla Horsfall ● 5452d

I am thinking of the next election when we have all had enough of the London Borough of Southall mentality that the Labour Party in Ealing has undertaken with the Southall Car Park.

Marc Races ● 5452d

AV wouldn't have made a difference in Ealing Southall at the last General Election in Ealing as Virendra Sharma was elected with 51.5% of the vote.

James de Vivenot ● 5452d

ealing deserves better than it is getting right now. vote yes for av for a better ealing.

Moira Bourne ● 5452d

Definitely! Just imagine, Vivendra Shah, Labour MP for Southall (once known as Ealing Southall), and Julian Bell, Labour Leader of Southall Council (once known as Ealing Council might have to listen to what the electorate want and need rather than the pressure groups within the Southall Labour Group  (once known as the Ealing Labour Group). Some election promises might actually be kept and the aministration of the Borough of Ealing might reflect public democratic opinion.Oh, and if both Labour and Conservatives don't want AV at a party level then it must be really good.Get out there and show those politicians that the residents and electorate of Ealing count and must be listened to.VOTE YES FOR AV.

Marc Races ● 5452d