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 STV for local elections? |
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 5th October 2017, 07:16 AM
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#1
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 Paul Hyett
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 25,346 User: 364 
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I would like to see STV implemented for local elections in England (and Wales).
One of the usual arguments against it - that it creates coalitions. simply wouldn't be an issue, as coalitions in local gov't are commonplace, and have been for a long time. An example of it might work : Here in Cheltenham there are 20 wards, each electing 2 councillors on a 2 year cycle. ISTM it would be better to have 8 wards with 5 councillors each, elected on an all-up basis . The local connection would be retained, and it would prevent an party from taking a majority of seats with just a plurality of votes. Also, with a choice of candidates from each party, you could pick the more competent ones, rather than the ones the party picks. If parties tried to manipulate the list by deselecting councillors who refused to be 'yes men' then they could stand independently with a much better chance of winning than under FPTP. |
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5th October 2017, 09:03 AM
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#2
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 April 2007
Posts: 36,675 User: 3,272
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For as long as e have FPTP I prefer elections in thirds rather than all-up elections. Because people often use local elections to give the government a kicking there are many examples of a group going from having only one or two seats to controlling the council in one election. In many cases that has not worked well. The party in control has not been ready for power and several of their councillors were not expecting to win In some cases they didn't even want to win. It should be said that all three main parties in England have gained power in this way and made a hash of it.
STV should help to prevent this. FPTP has also given us councils where one party has run the council with little or no opposition for decades. The child sex abuse scandal in Rotherham and the disaster that was Grenfell Tower may have been avoided if the ruling party had had to endure more scrutiny and the real prospect of losing power. |
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5th October 2017, 12:01 PM
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#3
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 Queen of Soon
Joined: 24 May 2007
Posts: 74,087 User: 3,474
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I think it’s STV that’s in use in Scotland. This year there wasn’t a single council with a majority administration and under STV “NOC” has been the main outcome. It’s forced coalitions across a lot of councils with a few cases of SLAB defying both Kez and National Labour to prop up Ruth’s party in some ridiculously unnecessary partisan bullshit.
It does work alright and is generally a fairer system |
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5th October 2017, 01:01 PM
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#4
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 April 2007
Posts: 36,675 User: 3,272
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Yes, Scottish local elections use STV with AV used for by-elections.
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5th October 2017, 01:46 PM
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#5
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Paul Hyett
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 25,346 User: 364
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QUOTE(5 Silas Frøkner @ Oct 5 2017, 01:01 PM)  It does work alright and is generally a fairer system Which is why the Westminster parliament won't touch it with a bargepole. 
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5th October 2017, 01:57 PM
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#6
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 I'm so lonely, I paid a hobo to spoon with me
Joined: 6 February 2010
Posts: 12,908 User: 10,596
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I'd be completely on board with this. I like STV generally for the reasons outlined by various posters above. It'd be more difficult in general elections as we're so used to being represented by small, single-member constituencies but most (all?) local councils are multi-member so no problem there. Also hadn't realised that Scotland used AV for by-elections - not an issue I'd ever considered with STV, but a neat solution.
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5th October 2017, 07:01 PM
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#7
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Queen of Soon
Joined: 24 May 2007
Posts: 74,087 User: 3,474
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Yes the councils in Scotland are all multi-member wards so it still keeps that "you're my representative" element of FPTP
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5th October 2017, 07:22 PM
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#8
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Howdy, disco citizens
Joined: 16 January 2010
Posts: 12,775 User: 10,455
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Council elections in Northern Ireland already run under the STV system, which means we usually do get a good mix of people from all across the political spectrum making decisions (in Belfast alone, the 60 councillors come from 8 different parties, excluding independents).
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