Citizens United by Henry McLeish sampler

setting the scene amidst turbulent politics
concession to the Lib Dems in the Tory Coalition, with little support from
the two major parties. Voting is a powerful and undervalued democratic
right in Britain. Often the media, right wing politicians and those
obsessed with the ‘market’ ignore the importance of our democracy, our
politics, and our governance. They remain content with first past the
post, a system which dominates and distorts the consequences of voting
and ensures millions of votes don’t matter.
The American author Mark Twain once quipped, ‘if voting made
any difference, they wouldn’t let us do it’. In Britain, millions of people
may have taken this to heart. From 1997, 30 to 40 per cent of the
electorate haven’t bothered to vote in Westminster elections. In 2015,
the snp won 50 per cent of the vote but picked up 95 per cent of the
seats in Scotland.
In similar vein, ukip received nearly 4 million votes and only one
mp. This doesn’t make any sense. The Tory victory in the 2015 General
Election meant they formed the Government with just over a third of
the votes cast and only slightly over a quarter of those eligible to vote in
the uk. This was repeated in the 2017 General Election. There is now
an undeniable case for change: the worth of a vote and the value of
voting are at stake.
In today’s volatile political climate, the political, social, economic
and cultural challenges demand a more inclusive, fairer, representative
system of voting. Our politics are crying out for a civilised approach,
co-operation, progressive coalitions and consensus. It beggars belief
that in 2017 we hold on to the ideas that each manifesto is unique and
precious, that each party has a monopoly of wisdom to solve every
problem and that supporting or working with another party is a sign
of weakness. People don’t think like this. This is not the European way.
First past the post only reinforces this state of delusion.
But change is difficult. The status quo serves the self-interest of
the two big parties. Their case against change is plausible but flawed.
Simplicity, speed, mp–voters link, decisive results and strong and stable
government, are seen as advantages.
First past the post has substantial weaknesses: mps and governments
elected without majority votes; parties that win large numbers of
votes but obtain few seats; and smaller parties under-represented or
not represented in the House of Commons. Key institutions of our
democracy – parties, parliaments, and elections – do not command
enough trust or respect.
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