Tomorrow in the UK we vote in a referendum for an Alternative Voting (AV) system to replace First Past The Post (FPTP). Much confusion reigns in the media as to the merits of each side.
For those of us championing for such important issues as: monetary reform; for a more enlightened taxation system with Land Value Taxation; for a non-means tested Citizen's Income and for other nudges into more fairness and freedom, AV seems the right way to go. What it would mean is that whilst I may have a strong party affiliation or perhaps a floating party affiliation I am to be given a extra opportunity to give my opinion on other issues without feeling I am wasting my vote. OK, candidiates for such 'minority' issues are unlikley to get elected but what their appearance on a ballot ticket signifies is that people who have never seriously considered them would be asked 'what do you think about this?' So an election becomes a combination of the election of a candidiate and an opinion poll on other issues.
Nations seem to slowly grow into more democratic ways and the time of monolithic parties may be fading in the UK. The fine tuning of democracy needs the new issues of the future to be given space beyond narrow, timid party dogma. It is oddly patronising to suggests that AV is too complicated to understand. People can work out what their preferences are.
Anything that gives a slightly raised platform to individual candidates who stand for important focussed issues is to be applauded and AV might do this. What may happen is that the main parties will take on the 'minority view' that seems to be attracting lots of 2nd & 3rd preference votes. So reform would be helped along by the exposure given.
See: this website for a view on how AV could help fix the banks.
Posted by Charles Bazlinton. Browse/buy the book. Buy the book on EBay.
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