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April 12, 2006
PR discussion on Today programme
Peter Facey stepped up to the plate early this morning (7.40am) to debate the Italian election and voting systems with Tony Benn and the Today presenter. You can hear the full clip here. The meat of the discussion happens a couple of mins into the piece.
I'm not sure I wholeheartedly agree with one of our supporter's observations that the BBC (as with most media outlets) tends only to cover the issue of proportional representation when it has been spun as a bad news story. However, I am starting to sympathise with that view. Last time we got a look in on the Today programme was at the height of the messy aftermath of the German elections last year. They haven't been back to us to do a follow-up on how the situation has thus far turned out well: with a stable Grand Coalition and most Germans satisfied with the electoral outcome.
Now it is the turn of Italy. "PR election leads to mess" was almost the approach a Today producer made to us yesterday. Apart from the fact that Italy's new system is not one any UK reformer would support and is a step-back from the mixed system that served the country well over the past decade, the most obvious response is that any election where the two main parties/coalitions are only split by a few thousand votes will produce a close overall result; no matter what the system. Still, we welcome any opportunities to air our views and set the record straight. Roll on the next one ....
Posted by malcolmclark on April 12, 2006
Comments
I repeatedly challenge the Today programme about its treatment - or mostly non-treatment - of the electoral system, without any noticeable result. And we still get John Humphrys telling us that in 1992 the "people" categorically rejected progressive tax increases when of course a clear majority voted FOR such increases.
Indeed it seems to me that as the major source of information, and given their remit to inform, educate, and entertain, the BBC are in this respect failing in their duty. Yesteray’s Today discussion was a rare exception - and even so the presenter did not adopt a neutral attitude: she was clearly reluctant to relinquish the view that "our" system is the best. PERHAPS MEMBERS OF MVC - THE MORE THE BETTER - SHOULD LOBBY THE DG ON THIS SUBJECT.
Once again Tony Benn was on his hobby-horse - list systems. Unfortunatly he seems to consider STV in multi-member constituences as a list system. What he calls STV is restricted to two-member constituencies - one male and one female member - not multi-member consituencies as in the Irish Republic (which he seems to believe involves lists). Such a system - two-member constituencies - could of course be even more disproportional than FPTP. I would agree with him that pure lists have grave disadvanages - particularly closed lists - although Sweden has a very effective open list system infinitely better than FPTP.
Posted by: Joe Patterson at April 13, 2006 11:54 AM
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