The Labour Party - Part 2

[the_bloke 17]

35 minutes ago, L00b said:

Well, Germany has been just sooo poorly governed through decades of PR, really.

 

 Can’t imagine how their economy is so consistently strong, how people there are reasonably happy and well-educated, how the far right like AfD are sinking in polls. I’m completely befuddled. 
 

So, err, Johnson’s been in power nearly a year now, with a vast majority…

 

…are you getting what you voted for?

You've avoided the point; if a party says one thing in the manifesto then can't deliver it or can only deliver a sub set of it due to various levels of compromise, then people aren't getting what they voted for are they. If people feel strongly about that, they can make sure to vote for someone else in the next election and remove the party that promised one thing and delivered another from power - unless it's PR, where the same parties are always involved in the decisions for decades.

 

PR is basically governing by committee. The safest options will always be taken due to the compromises and deal making that has to be done. IMO if this country had PR since 1945 none of the large scale political decisions and social and economic changes would ever have happened.

[L00b 441]

23 minutes ago, the_bloke said:

You've avoided the point; if a party says one thing in the manifesto then can't deliver it or can only deliver a sub set of it due to various levels of compromise, then people aren't getting what they voted for are they. If people feel strongly about that, they can make sure to vote for someone else in the next election and remove the party that promised one thing and delivered another from power - unless it's PR, where the same parties are always involved in the decisions for decades.

I doubt that.
 

You’re arguing in support of the binary, absolutist, winner-takes-all politics brought about by FPTP systems.

 

I’m looking at where this system has taken British politics and Britain, up to now. 

 

And inviting a contrast with where PR has taken Germany up to now. Country size for country size, it’s a good example.
 

And speaking of 1945, it was a ruin from one end of the country to the other, cut in ideological halves, without any sort of governance or electoral system, no industry, a class of age or two worse than decimated, and about as much geopolitical goodwill as a black hole.

Edited October 11, 2021 by L00b

[RJRB 688]

On balance I would prefer a PR system.

They can work at least as well as our FPTP and I see no problem at all in a minority party having a meaningful say in Parliament.

Just because they do not command a higher percentage of the vote does not mean that some of their views or policies have no relevance.

The 2 main parties may have a manifesto but it is clear that any issue that gets that far is not always backed in total by their own members.

There is always a range of views and a moderating influence is often to be welcomed.

I have long wished that there could be some cross party consensus on a number of critical issues,but the norm is to try to defeat the opposition or to hinder progress at every turn and by whatever means.

Some reform would be welcome,including a substantial reduction in the number of MPs and of course a more credible representation in the House of Lords.

[the_bloke 17]

28 minutes ago, L00b said:

You’re arguing in support of the binary, absolutist, winner-takes-all politics brought about by FPTP systems.

Yes, I am. If you want to compare Germany and the UK, please enlighten us as to the amazing things PR has brought to Germany that FPTP wouldn't have done? I can't see any, but then I'm not a Europhile and don't know the system in and out.

 

It didn't stop recessions. It didn't stop involvement in Afghanistan. It didn't stop militants committing murder with lorries. It doesn't stop policy u-turns, as evidenced by the flip flopping over ending nuclear power. It didn't stop tension over immigration. It didn't stop them bailing out the banks. It doesn't actually mean that the parties work better with each other either.

[El Cid 214]

1 hour ago, the_bloke said:

Yes, I am. If you want to compare Germany and the UK, please enlighten us as to the amazing things PR has brought to Germany that FPTP wouldn't have done? I can't see any, but then I'm not a Europhile and don't know the system in and out.

 

It didn't stop recessions. It didn't stop involvement in Afghanistan. It didn't stop militants committing murder with lorries. It doesn't stop policy u-turns, as evidenced by the flip flopping over ending nuclear power. It didn't stop tension over immigration. It didn't stop them bailing out the banks. It doesn't actually mean that the parties work better with each other either.

The thing that PR does, is it allows small political parties to grow. So instead of 2 powerfull partys ruling the country, PR allows new MPs to be elected.

PR should also be brought in at a local level.

[L00b 441]

1 hour ago, the_bloke said:

It didn't stop recessions. It didn't stop involvement in Afghanistan. It didn't stop militants committing murder with lorries. It doesn't stop policy u-turns, as evidenced by the flip flopping over ending nuclear power. It didn't stop tension over immigration. It didn't stop them bailing out the banks.

Neither did FPTP, nor various forms of PR. Nor dictatorship, if you look at Zimbabwe or China. PR is not a panacea for mitigating geopolitical forces and global events.

 

But Germany’s involvement in Afghanistan was quite light (syndicated minimum under NATO obligations; significantly less than eg France), Germany decided against domestic nuclear and to buy French electricity instead decades ago, Germany took in well in excess of 1m refugees a mere 6 years ago and yet the AfD vote is on its @rse, and Germany did the heavy lifting on underwriting the EU (club meds mostly) bank bailouts because it had the economic might to do so.

 

Being a ‘Europhile’ or not has sod all to do with any of this, nor being pro- or anti-German, nor any other black-and-white reductionist worldview.  Keeping abreast of world news is plenty sufficient.

1 hour ago, the_bloke said:

Yes, I am. If you want to compare Germany and the UK, please enlighten us as to the amazing things PR has brought to Germany that FPTP wouldn't have done?

How on earth could that be responded to, when Germany never had FPTP? 🤔

 

The thing about PR, is that more of the electorate bothers about who they are electing and why based on the candidates’ record and intentions, rather than about ‘winning’ or seeing their vote ‘wasted’.
 

How much of their manifestos did the last few British governments get to implement? How ‘done’ is Boris’ Brexit? How much u-turning on that 2019 manifesto a year on?

 

And for the avoidance of doubt, and the sake of balance, Labour’s no better in that respect - and many others. Manifestos are just magic electoral powder to the eyes.
 

FPTP is designed to keep your politics bipartisan, and in such a system, of course the first thing that happens when ‘the other side’ eventually gets in, is to undo everything the previous incumbents did, good and bad. Can’t have any acknowledgment that ‘the other side’ came up and did anything good, God forbid. It was holding you back. Now it’s making you reverse. Fast.

Edited October 11, 2021 by L00b

[RJRB 688]

9 minutes ago, West 77 said:

If PR was in force at the 2019 December General Election then the UK would stop have left the EU meaning leave voters would have been cheated out of their democratic choice.  PR gives to much power to the third and fourth largest parties meaning they can prevent or block the plans and policies of the largest parties. We saw what happened during the time of the rogue parliament.

Go back a step or two from the GE.

PR may have meant that an internal squabble of the Tory Party did not develop into a situation seized by the far right and Farage to create the Brexit mess that we have now,

 

[Tony 10]

Every party has its internal factions heavily for / against EU membership. The one in power gets to have the discussion with the voters.

[El Cid 214]

2 hours ago, West 77 said:

 The UK are still the pioneers in World democracy thanks to blessing the people with a choice on EU membership which all the remaining EU governments are reluctant to do.

 

 

Some countries have many referendums, some even get over-turned. Britain was once a leading country, imposing its will on others, that had negative and posative effects.

Britain is not the country it once was, with Trump and Johnson, I feel the reputation of both countries have suffered.

[altus 538]

4 hours ago, West 77 said:

If PR was in force at the 2019 December General Election then the UK would still not have left the EU meaning leave voters would have been cheated out of their democratic choice. 

So your complaint against PR is you think the majority of people would have voted to stay in the EU. That says everything about your lack of respect for democracy.

Quote

PR gives to much power to the third and fourth largest parties meaning they can prevent or block the plans and policies of the largest parties.

PR prevents a government supported only by a minority of people being able to ride roughshod over the views of the majority.

Quote

We saw what happened during the time of the rogue parliament.

The only thing rogue in parliament at that time was governments twice illegally attempting to undermine our system of government.

[Tony 10]

If we had PR, Nigel Farage would probably have been the UK's Brexit Minister and Deputy PM.

 

The only people who love PR are the ones who can't find enough supporters to get their ideas implemented. I'd say that's more to do with their usually self-serving and quite bonkers ideas than it is to do with the voting system.  They simply can't take the hint that their ideas are continually rejected because they are rubbish.

 

Careful what you wish for.

[El Cid 214]

3 hours ago, Tony said:

If we had PR, Nigel Farage would probably have been the UK's Brexit Minister and Deputy PM.

So if he was voted in, you wouldnt respect democracy? Maybe he would do a better job at being the Brexit Minster than Lord Frost?