fairvotesfordorset

Richard Denton-White, Citizen’s Party (UK)
 
We fundamentally believe in active citizens getting involved in and participating in making decisions about the communities in which they live. Under First Past the Post that's just not possible.
 
At a national level FPTP guarantees bad Labour Governments succeeded by bad Tory Governments elected by a minority of voters, in key marginal constituencies like Weymouth and South Dorset. Policy is determined by small cliques within monolithic political parties and 'news -managed' in order to assist the process of getting re-elected and hanging onto power. Citizen participation is minimal.
 
At a local level FPTP inevitably delivers power to small, self interested factions within mainstream parties, in Dorset's case the Conservative Party.
 
The creativity and lateral thinking of inspired and well informed individuals within other political parties is excluded from the political process and the sincerely held beliefs of independents and independent groups such as Transition Towns is marginalised.
 
Electoral reform would create a new, innovative political culture in which politics became exciting and dynamic enough to involve young people, women and ethnic groups and to re.engage the disillusioned.
 
We must have a Referendum at the next year's General Election and we need a campaigning mulit party/ multi group  organisation to push for it here in Dorset. Thus Citizen Party ( UK's) commitment to an active Fair Votes For Dorset umbrella group to push for electoral reform.

Brian Heatley, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for South Dorset, and a member of the Greens' National Executive.

'I'm supporting Fair Votes for Dorset' primarily because of the very poor representation of any views other than those from the three main parties across the County.  The Greens got almost 10% of the vote in the Euro-elections across the South West, which should mean six Dorset County Councillors, or a few on each of the local councils.  But Green voters are entirely unrepresented.  We all need fair votes now.'

Why don’t they force government to listen to us?
Why is so much legislation ill thought out?
When government departments screw up, why, too often, is no one held accountable?
Why is the government allowed to talk about reforming the banking system, but do nothing?
Why is the government allowed to bang on about global warming, but build a 3rdrd runway?

In 2005 two thirds of MPs were elected by less than half those voting, and New Labour were elected by only 22% of those entitled to vote?
Since 1970, no government has attracted more than 45% of the vote?

Alongside the next general election there should be a binding referendum on whether to change to a new more proportional electoral system. This should be drawn up by a large jury of randomly selected citizens, given the time and information to deliberate on what voting system and other changes would make parliament more accountable to citizens.