Author Archives: Alan Kestner

Consensual voting

By Alan Kestner | Mon 1st April 2019 - 10:03 am

Please, please, please can the Liberal Democrat MPs encourage the House of Commons to use a consensual voting system for the indicative vote today. The voting last Thursday showed how pointless voting in a competitive way is, when every option could be voted down.

What is needed is, yes, a vote for however many options are required, but also the ability to indicate what everyone’s least bad option is as well. The proposition that wins will then have a combination of positive votes plus additional affirmation from others for whom it is the least bad option. This would then be an …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged Parliament and voting | 24 Comments

Divide and rule

By Alan Kestner | Mon 4th July 2016 - 5:47 pm

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These are turbulent times in politics – dangerous and at the same time offering great opportunities to seize the initiative. The Lib-Dems have always been pro-European and we must lead the argument for a very close relationship with the EU post brexit. How to do this? Make a coalition pact with another Westminster party pre the next election.

The Labour party is in disarray with the majority of its members pro-Europe and anti Corbyn. Like all MPs, what they want, above all, is to retain their seats at the next election. This will be a wipe-out if Jeremy Corbyn is leader. So offer them the opportunity to canvass under a Liberal-Labour coalition, e.g. Labour (Lib-lab coalition). Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats would canvass under a Liberal-Democrat (Lib-lab coalition) banner. Both sides would determine where their support was strongest and refrain from putting up candidates against each other.