Britain 'needs compulsory voting'

Sminkeypinkey you are totally right IPP is not a government body I just thought it was because of the tone coming this thread. I'm glad that you agree that forcing people like me to vote is hardly in the government’s interests if they want to get re-elected. That’s the way it should be. So hopefully everyone can agree that the government won’t follow this suggestion up (I mean just look at the reaction from this thread so far).
That said; from the government that says “you can’t leave my-your country unless you hand over your DNA, eye scan, and figure prints” this is accurately exactly the sort of “stupid thing” they would do (especially if it hadn’t already been tried out in countries like Australia).
And Wang was very interesting about what he said about the system in his country. I have to wonder that if forced voting causes the electorate as a whole to be become more dissectible to modern marketing then would it be in New Labours interests? Of course their problem would be getting past the first election in which it was introduced because that’s when people would notice it most.

As far as protesting by voting for extremist parties on the grounds that they won’t actually win goes: I think the whole thing is a lot safer than you think. Do you really think an extremist party will go from 4th minus to 1st over night? And even if it did surely something would be picked up in the opinion polls first? Furthermore if you live in “party-loyal” area like my own the game gets safer still. After all if Labour or the Lib Dem’s can’t win my area in over 70 years I doubt anyone else will any time soon. If I lived in a constituency place like Bradford them I would take my vote a lot more seriously. Till then even though my vote is counted it doesn’t actually count because I believe differently to most of the locals around me. This is the greatest problem of “post pass the post”. It means the only purpose of my vote is a protest.

A Different Form of PR...
I don’t actually believe in constituencies for anything other than local elections. I believe in electing political parties directly. I think we should all have several votes but unlike traditional PR I don’t think we should be forced to spend them in any particular order-way. Whether or not you give all your votes to one party or to several is a choice that’s up to you. My system would make it a lot easier for smaller parties to get established. Of course there wouldn’t be a local representative unless the parties chose to put one there for marketing purposes. This is something I'm sure in time they would. I also believe that any MP should not only be able to propose any act of legislation but also that they should be allocated a certain amount of time for this purpose. Currently any MP can propose a law, and anyone can talk it out.
Even though i would sacrifice the local representative the reward is near 100% proportional representation, this is something both our system and other forms of PR have often failed to do.
Representation would be near 100% because it would be a simple case of adding up the total votes cast during an election and dividing this sum by the number of Westminster seats. This would produce a threshold figure that anyone anywhere in the country could contribute to for any (single or variety of political parties) on totally equal voting terms.

Does this type of PR have a name or have I invented it?

If I have invented the above PR version then: All Rights Revealed


[edit on 090705 by Liberal1984]

Originally posted by Liberal1984
That said; from the government that says “you can’t leave my-your country unless you hand over your DNA, eye scan, and figure prints” this is accurately exactly the sort of “stupid thing” they would do (especially if it hadn’t already been tried out in countries like Australia).

- You may see a similarity with ID cards on this but I don't.

I think that is a completely separate issue with a rational all of it's own.

I have to wonder that if forced voting causes the electorate as a whole to be become more dissectible to modern marketing then would it be in New Labours interests?

- What is this 'New labour' hang-up you have?
Don't you know that it was Mrs T, following Ronnie Reagan's example, that first introduced 'modern' and managed 'presentational politics' into the UK in the 1980's?

It isn't especially 'New Labour' it is simply about maximising the various media available to promote ones' own agenda and/or set the agenda......and in a sense, though the details might change, that fundamental is no different now to any other time.

As far as protesting by voting for extremist parties on the grounds that they won’t actually win goes: I think the whole thing is a lot safer than you think.

- Yeah right, safe for whom, eh?
Safe unless you are from an immigrant or 'black' family subjected to the 'street politics' of a group like the BNP which has growing confidence and encouragement thanks to the 'support' from people like yourself.

Do you really think an extremist party will go from 4th minus to 1st over night?

- That was not particularly my point. See above.

If I lived in a constituency place like Bradford them I would take my vote a lot more seriously.

- It's not just places like Bradford (although they have been up there causing as much trouble as they can), it's anywhere where a minority community faces threats, intimidation and violence from those thugs emboldened by their 'successes', however marginal.

I think we should all have several votes but unlike traditional PR I don’t think we should be forced to spend them in any particular order-way. Whether or not you give all your votes to one party or to several is a choice that’s up to you. My system would make it a lot easier for smaller parties to get established.

- This sounds like single transferable voting.

Perhaps you could study some PR systems and comment and compare?

I also believe that any MP should not only be able to propose any act of legislation but also that they should be allocated a certain amount of time for this purpose. Currently any MP can propose a law, and anyone can talk it out.

- If you want to retain any kind of workable time frame(s) how on earth can you change this?
You accept the need for limited time so where is the great change?

Even though i would sacrifice the local representative the reward is near 100% proportional representation, this is something both our system and other forms of PR have often failed to do.

- I think you need to study some PR systems.
What you suggest is hardly unique.
List systems do the same as this although people have a marked tendency to prefer a system where a representitive is known and 'attached' to their constituency.

What about the question of outcome?
One thing to be said for '1st past the post' is that it, more often than not, gives a clear and definite outcome, something PR is often criticised for failing to provide.

Does this type of PR have a name or have I invented it?

If I have invented the above PR version then: All Rights Revealed

- Why not study this area a little more and then give us your thoughts?

No point reinventing the wheel, eh?

I am not sure I share the sentiment that a poor turn-out at the polls is doom and gloom.

I think that the UK voting public is sufficiently intelligent to vote if they saw a need. The fact is that for the average person who runs the country is unimportant and to a significant extent I think that their lives will be largely uneffected.

Peple therefore are content NOT to vote.

I believe if the public was sufficiently pissed off then they would vote.

Making voting compulsory is wrong and assumes there is a problem when there is not!

Regards