Proportional Representation doesn’t work for democracy

Further to Cliff Brooker’s and John Cleland’s letters. I’m pleased John recognises a major failure in our Parliamentary democracy is the ‘party whip’ by which MPs (no matter how elected) are bullied into voting for the party line, abrogating their primary duty to represent their constituents in Parliament. With a democratic debate, a functioning opposition and a ‘free vote’, there is no guarantee a majority government can force through their ill-conceived policies! That’s democracy - no need for coalitions!

And therein lies the crux of the FPTP vs PR argument! Under our FPTP constituency system, its 70,000 electorate vote for a single, known ‘local’ MP who (should have!) sound local knowledge and empathy. Indeed, their gold-plated pension relies on them pleasing the local voter!

PR however, does not permit a single seat, directly elected, representative local MP system as it requires a multi-seat ‘Region’ in which the combined constituencies’ electorate choose their preferred national party and get a Hobson’s Choice of MPs drawn, in proportion, from a party list containing many unknowns.

Hence, our South East EU Region of only 10 MEPs, each representing 6.44 million diverse constituents (rather than 70,000 per MP)! Happenstance, one’s nearest ‘local’ (or only) preferred party MEP might live 100 miles away in Milton Keynes and have little, indifferent, or no interest in Hastings or Rye!

That’s ‘local representative democracy’, PR style! FPTP works!

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