Government fails on plans for electoral reform

The Government's review of electoral systems has at last been published. It arrived last Friday as a mere written ministerial statement - and a shameful response at that - indeed another example of the Government trying to stifle debate and close down opportunities for the public to have their say.

Photo: Big beech trees near Haresfield Beacon - saved as they lie in an area where to cut them down and retrieve the wood would have been difficult

Voting matters and so do the systems used. The Government's press release laughably states
that the "current voting system for UK general elections works well". Maybe for them but not for voters. Where is their willingness to debate the issues?

At least the review has plenty of positives about PR systems and officially at any rate, everything still remains on the table although there were no recommendations in the review and Harriet Harman refuses to commit any Government time for a debate - and there was no process mentioned or offered to continue the debate or keep the process open.

Polly Toynbee wrote in The Guardian: "Alas, in the same week Labour kicked away one great chance to restore some connection between people and politics. Dust was blown off the long-avoided review of electoral systems, which was slid into the House of Commons library on Hain resignation day with no recommendations and only a terse statement: 'The government has no plans to change the voting system for elections to the House of Commons.' So just 8,000 swing voters in key marginals decided this June 2010 election. Too late for Labour to rue the day its miserable tribalism threw away the chance to reshape politics and allow more parties into parliament, wrecking a chance to ally with the Lib Dems. If turnout was dismal in this election, it was hard to detect the difference between parties ya-booing the louder the more they pretended to be the same."

Gordon Brown’s talk of “new politics” was already sounding hollow - this does nothing to convince us he wants change.