If this is democracy, you can stick it where the sun don’t shine.

The case for reform of our electoral system is overwhelming yet hour after hour we hear vested interests defending the indefensible. The Observer had a series of diagrams making the case yesterday.

Under the present ‘first past the post’ system, the following scenarios are possible.

Equal share of vote = unequal seats

Conservative         30% of the popular vote  206 seats   (32% of seats)

Labour                  30%                                 315            (48%             )

LibDem                30%                                 100            (15%             )

Other                    10%                                   29            (  4%             )

Party with lowest share of the popular vote gets most seats

Conservative         33%                                257            (39% of seats )

Labour                  27%                                262            (40%              )

LibDem                30%                                102            (16%              )

Other                    10%                                  29             (  4%             )

This is beyond parody. Every time a party spokesmouth churns out the mantra, ‘first past the post produces strong government’ remember these figures. Even the Tories would balk at these scenarios – wouldn’t they?

Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society Dr Ken Ritchie said, “This campaign is looking less and less like an election and more like a game of roulette….. Uncertainty over who will get most support is natural and necessary in Britain’s staid elections. But uncertainty over how our antiquated system will decide who wins at Westminster is not. A system that can make the first last, and the last first, is simply unacceptable.

We need a system that can deliver the will of the people not by accident but by design. A change to the Single Transferable Vote system would give us a parliament that reflects the votes cast, and leave a majority of voters with the satisfaction that someone they supported is at Westminster to represent their views.”

STV is the preferred system of the politically neutral Electoral Reform Society. It is time we knew a lot more about it. 

Cheese, Chalk and Stalin

What a day and what a difference. Battled through traffic jams and left a lovely morning outside to enter the world of the dementors. Those who know their Harry Potter will recognise them as the creatures that suck the life out of anyone nearby.

The first event of the day was again organised by a church – this time in Buxton. A spacious, cold venue with about 150 present, it quickly became clear that we were attending the ‘how not to run a hustings’ event. All the candidates had been sent the questions beforehand. What a colossal mistake. No spontaneity, barely any interaction between the candidates and a chairman who controlled proceedings very firmly. Reading prepared answers mostly very badly, was an unedifying spectacle and highlighted the lack of quality on offer. In addition it was made clear that we were to be passive observers. All the energy, dynamism and interest in the room sucked into an electoral black hole.

The Tory is the clear favourite for the seat and set his stall out on being locally born, locally living and locally active. He was a ‘local candidate for local people’ and should really be referred to as Royston. Unfortunately, despite being reminded twice to hold the microphone not so close as it brought distortion, Royston continued to dilute his message by sounding like fingernails on a blackboard.

The UKIP lady failed to turn up again and sent an odd replacement who is standing, “30 miles away.” He at least broke the boredom by giving wacky offerings, the odd provocative comment  - and dancing eyebrows! True! As others spoke, he performed a caterpillar dance above his nose.

The Green Party candidate was the best on offer by some way. The ex-banker Independent spoke in the clipped tones of Mr Fortescue-Brown from around 1950 and had views to match. The others were second rate and characterless.

The same pensioner who made the ‘bloody disgrace’ comment at a previous meeting, tried to speak as the meeting was drawing to close. The Vicar, yes, the Vicar, tried to intercept him and when challenged about this, said that such interventions were not allowed within the format of the meeting. Joe Stalin, eat your bleeding heart out. What a frightened, fearful, unconfident and deeply controlling anti-democratic bunch. The country is facing the deepest crisis since the Second World War and the good people of Buxton are to sit quietly and do as they are bid. Let the dementors do their worst.

Totally dispirited and wondering whether to bother, we went to Macclesfield, a neighbouring constituency to the High Peak. What a contrast. Six candidates on show in yet another church (why is no other organisation capable of hosting such a vital event?) A combination of pre-submitted questions – but not to the candidates - and ones from the floor.

But this time we had four candidates who you felt could represent Macclesfield with credit. From the off we had assurance, clarity, projection and passion. This safe Tory seat was formerly held by the odious Winterton. His replacement was forced onto the local association from Tory Central Office and he knew this had been unpopular with the locals. He had worked hard since his nomination to get under the skin of the area. Assured, competent and capable he will go on to higher things although he is a mormon. The Lib/Dem sounded uncannily like Dr David Starkey and revealed that he was, “An ordinary professor of particle physics at Manchester University.” Lively, witty and well briefed he more than held his own. Labour had a NHS consultant representing them and he too was first class. The Independent had a passion about the corruption in our national life and expressed himself with clarity and a degree of anger. He would be no pushover in Parliament unlike any of the pussycats of the High Peak who would be a whips dream.

To complete the platform we had an inadequate Green standing in for the candidate who was on a pre-arranged event and a wonderful UKIP rep. She had rung up UKIP to see who was standing in her area and been told no-one, so she stepped in and stood up for what she believed. Off- the- wall, rambly but occasionally perceptive, and frequently very, very funny.

Spookily, towards the end a pensioner stood up and wanted his say. This time we were asked if we were happy for him to say his piece – and so he did.

Well Done Macclesfield! Shame on you High Peak!

How the hell can there be such a difference in the calibre of candidates in neighbouring constituencies? Questions must be asked.

The good burghers of Bramhall

Its politics in a church - the atmosphere before the start is muted. About a hundred mainly Christian elderly and apparently affluent electors gathered on a lovely sunny early spring evening in a Stockport suburb. Four candidates present, all suited, white males.

The hosting Minister begins with a couple of Bible readings and urges us, “To listen with respect” and “remember to vote for our community not ourselves.” It is all too civilised in the context of the last 12 months. The Chair for the evening is another Minister and all the questions were submitted beforehand.

The Tory has an advantage over the others as the event is taking place in the church he attends. Isn’t a Christian Conservative an oxymoron? He is a product of the ToryBoy haircut school and obviously groomed by the extra cash to make the most of his opportunities. The Labour candidate is from Scotland and is another practicing Christian, however from the more radical wing.

The LibDem is the current MP and he plays that card for all he is worth citing surgeries, meetings and Parliamentary questions whenever possible. The final player is an affable old cove who wandered in from the golf club to represent UKIP.

The Labour guy is head and shoulders above the rest but hasn’t got a cat in hells chance. The Tory loves his mum who is a brilliant nurse and he adores David Cameron’s community policies, which apparently will eradicate the debt and make us all better people. 

Being a religiously organised event there is an emphasis on faith matters. This grates after a while. Everything chugs along in a passive silence and even when the candidates disagree it is surprisingly soulless. Thoughtful but peripheral.

The only issue to light the Christian folks fire was the ‘highest council tax in Greater Manchester’ which half the audience blamed the MP for. The Tory did well on this point with the backing of his mates in the audience and it is the only time the LibDem is ruffled. The Labour candidate made the point that Bramhall is a wealthy place and could afford to subsidise needier areas. A message not welcomed by some of these affluent Christians though.

Interfaith initiatives were prominent. Jews and Muslims got several mentions; not a peep about the Roman Catholics. I wonder why?

We finished with a prayer for the candidates. A few of us did not join in – an indication of the nature of the audience. Overheard at the end, “I couldn’t understand a word that Scotsman said.” Shame that because his accent was not thick.

Reform? Trust? Troops out? Torture? Rendition? No mention. What was that about comforting the afflicted or afflicting the comfortable?

Attack Dogs

It has dawned on certain parts of the establishment that their cosy little world may be at risk. Note the coverage of Clegg in the media yesterday. Trawling through the dustbins of history for any little snippet that could be used as a stick to beat him with. They must be getting worried. ‘Clegg in Nazi slur’ being among the highlights. This from the Daily Mail, the paper that supported Fascism and the rise of Hitler in the 30's. 

Apply the same approach to Cameron. Put his record through the microscope but don’t expect to see the findings in the Tory media.

Steve Richards (Independent newspaper) speaking on the Today programme revealed that his editor Simon Kellner had a visitation this week from Rebekah Brooks (nee Wade) and James Murdoch for a ‘frank exchange of views’ about the stance taken by the Independent. And even supposedly neutral Adam Boulton had a go at Clegg during the second Leader's Debate breaching the rules on behalf of his master. 

The Murdoch media have backed the Conservatives. Remember, “It was the Sun what won it.”  It would not be good for their credibility for their chosen darlings to founder in the final strait. 

Expect more vitriolic garbage over the remaining days.

Democracy in action

The night of the second leaders debate. Thirty voters from the High Peak constituency left their tv screens to quiz their prospective candidates about Human Rights. The event was organised by Buxton Amnesty International. Four candidates attended (UKIP and one Independent were absent – the other Independent was present but not on the platform as he had only just declared himself a candidate). Hope all of that is clear.

The meeting typified Middle England at its best. Quiet, measured, thoughtful, respectful and with a quaker-like calm. It was also very warm.

The candidates were clearly at a disadvantage in that the audience were far more informed about most of the issues raised. To their credit whenever they did not know enough they admitted it. Issues such as abuses in the Niger Delta, Bhopal and the lack of access to legal services for trafficked women were all taken on board. One (literally) shocking issue emerged, namely that if someone is sectioned under the Mental Health Act, they could be given electro-convulsive therapy without their consent.

The Labour candidate had the more difficult position to defend. Under Labour, (illegal war, Rendition, Collusion with Torture, 42 days, Databases, ID Cards, treatment of asylum seekers) and in the name of ‘security,’ liberties eroded. She tried – but not very convincingly – to defend some of the issues. She is also following a Labour MP who stood down and who was a total party hack. To her credit she said she would defy her party and oppose renewing Trident, as she had been brought up in a CND family and had been taken to Aldermaston as a toddler.

The Tory admitted that his party would repeal the Human Rights Act and replace it with a Bill of Rights. Hmmm. He was also in favour of replacing Trident. The LibDem quoted from his own and his family experience whenever and wherever relevant and opposed Trident, the Green referred frequently to his party’s manifesto and also brought in personal experience very effectively.

Finally, there was a pensioner who was unaware that there was a theme to the evening. He brought the evening to a close with the revelation that he had received a 25p rise this year. “ And that’s not all – I’ve had a bloody letter giving 10p of that 25p to my wife! It’s a bloody disgrace.”

Yes it is, but the evening wasn’t.

Hustings? What hustings?

The principal reason for the return from Scotland is to engage with the Election. In particular, to raise the issue of Parliamentary reform, as often as possible, in a variety of forums.  Reports from meetings attended will feature in this blog.

Have trawled the internet to try to find out when and where election hustings meetings are being held. It is a thankless task. As yet there is not a lot of information and what there is exists on some obscure websites.

Macclesfield have not had such an event for 40 years. However, now that the odious Winterton has left the scene there are a series of meetings scheduled. The local electorate have the chance to see the man who Tory Central Office sent them. He was a ‘Special Advisor” to the treasury and clearly well established in the Westminster bubble.

In some constituencies there will not be an occasion where the public can see all their candidates at one event. The Tatton constituency had their meeting before the election race began. As George Osborne is the sitting MP he will not be available. He will spend his time instead no doubt whizzing around the country going from ‘photo op’ to ‘visit’ via the odd tv interview. At each photo op he will meet specially briefed Tory activists who will cheer and look eternally grateful for a glimpse of the heavenly body who has deigned to descend from his lofty perch to walk among them.

Its sick bag time again.

Hello Trees

Hello Trees

Journeying back south it was interesting to see the amount of fields and trees that support the Conservative Party. All of my life I have loved the countryside. To see fine upstanding trees, many hundreds of years old that are real wonders of nature, besmirched by tawdry posters is upsetting. That they are for a party who are anything but fine and upstanding adds insult to injury.  

Checklist follow up

Please feel free to copy and use the Candidate Checklist (posted below) to help you decide which to vote for. Should you remain unconvinced by any of your candidates remember you can always register your disgust by writing ‘None of the Above’ on your ballot paper. Alternatively you could opt to write RON (Re-Open Nominations).