Say YES to AV
The best advert for saying YES to AV in the May referendum - is to cast your mind back to how things were under 'first past the post' (FPTP).
For example, before Scottish councils were elected under a single transferable vote (STV) form of proportional representation - Glasgow relied upon FPTP to elect local councillors.
In 2003 the Labour party had 71 councillors out of 79 - almost a clean sweep - or 90% of the total number of seats - but based on only 47% of the popular vote.
Nowadays that's changed out of sight because of a fairer voting system - other parties are now represented in significant numbers - which broadly reflects their share of the popular vote.
And that's how it should be - because 'first past the post' means that seats are won on a minority share of the vote - often as low as 35%.
Which is why AV is an improvement on the present system - because the winner has to get more than 50% of the votes.
The old system favours the establishment parties - which is why the Labour and the Tories were standing shoulder to shoulder earlier today - when John Reid and David Cameron held a joint press conference to oppose voting reform.
The fact is that proportional representation (PR) of one kind or another - has been adopted by every newly emerged democracy over the past 25 years - notably in the former Soviet states of central and eastern Europe.
The reality is that FPTP has had its day - and that's why Scotland should say YES to AV.
The Scottish Parliament exists today - only because everyone agreed that the old, FPTP voting system was completely discredited - and had to go.
For example, before Scottish councils were elected under a single transferable vote (STV) form of proportional representation - Glasgow relied upon FPTP to elect local councillors.
In 2003 the Labour party had 71 councillors out of 79 - almost a clean sweep - or 90% of the total number of seats - but based on only 47% of the popular vote.
Nowadays that's changed out of sight because of a fairer voting system - other parties are now represented in significant numbers - which broadly reflects their share of the popular vote.
And that's how it should be - because 'first past the post' means that seats are won on a minority share of the vote - often as low as 35%.
Which is why AV is an improvement on the present system - because the winner has to get more than 50% of the votes.
The old system favours the establishment parties - which is why the Labour and the Tories were standing shoulder to shoulder earlier today - when John Reid and David Cameron held a joint press conference to oppose voting reform.
The fact is that proportional representation (PR) of one kind or another - has been adopted by every newly emerged democracy over the past 25 years - notably in the former Soviet states of central and eastern Europe.
The reality is that FPTP has had its day - and that's why Scotland should say YES to AV.
The Scottish Parliament exists today - only because everyone agreed that the old, FPTP voting system was completely discredited - and had to go.
