20 January 2014

Reform: Last Chance Saloon...

Below is an adapted version of an email I have sent to States Members today.

'The gerrymandered mess, Option B+, has been put forward by its proponents as a ‘last chance saloon’ for achieving any change for 2014.

However, this is not true. Those States Members truly wanting to improve our system, and not wishing to take two steps back, need only support p.171/2013 - Introduction of the Single Transferable Vote and Alternative Vote - as recommended by the Electoral Commission and its advisor, Dr Alan Renwick.


STV and AV can work with any system and was proposed when the EC themselves were hoping suggesting multi-seat constituencies to potentially run alongside the single seat constituencies of the Constables.

By way of example, the merits are laid out in the appendices to the report (HERE), however one simple example of why we need AV is given below:

(I ask Deputy Martin for forgiveness in advance…)


In 2000, a by-election took place in St Helier no.1. The results were as follows.


Election date: May 2000[1]


Total no. of valid votes cast: 707.


The winner, Deputy Martin, was therefore elected with 26.9% of the vote. In other words, 73% of those who voted did not vote for Deputy Martin.

Subjectively, I am very pleased that Deputy Martin won, but there is no way of knowing whether she was the most popular candidate overall.


One has to question the effect on democracy and subsequent apathy when over 70% of the electorate were not listened to, because they were not given a choice, once their preferred candidate was out of the picture.


This position is made even worse when multiple-seats are involved.


I look forward to your support this week.


Kind regards,


Montfort '

2 comments:

  1. Well done, Monty, good luck with this.

    I will observe with interest what arguments are found to try to obstruct this step towards democracy.

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  2. A large number of teenagers are auditioning for a part in the Crystal Island / Knights of Impossingworth "movie" at the Town Hall this weekend. Is it legit? Has this person been CRB checked.

    This article in the HeraldScotland is quite alarming, which I found after about 10 mins online.:

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/producer-stole-5000-1.766714

    Can there be two "film producers" called Keith Cavale?

    Local MSM & others giving out tax payers money, do not seem to have done any homework on this one. Might they just want to see Jersey looking lovely on a big screen?

    I understand if you cannot publish this comment but I think it needs looking into.

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