Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell is on Radio 4’s consumer programme You and Yours right now.
If you’re listening, why not tell us what you think?
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6 Comments
“A great deal of e-mails and texts on proportional representation – why doesn’t Ming talk about it more?”
Only on Radio 4!
He then did, but only in response to the question. But his comments were directed at what Lib Dems had achieved in Scotland, without explaining the benefits of PR. And the Scottish regional list system is hardly PR anyway…
Didn’t he also mention STV at local elections in Scotland? That’s the far bigger achievement, in my view, particularly since that worked quite well in the most recent elections, and the regional list system went rather less well.
Yes, he did, Alex. But he might also have mentioned that STV put an end to one-party monopoly of power in many councils, forcing councilors to work together: gave people the chance to express their preferences among candidates of the same party etc etc.
I think he fell into the trap, as we so often do, of failing to relate a successful policy initiative with our principles. If we do things just because they seem technically better, then we are no different from Tories and Labour.
Why do I keep on saying to myself (and sometimes to one of my ward’s LD Councillors) that LD leaders, national and local, just keep on missing the tricks? By all accounts Ming did that again today. Get yourselves some training in putting the message over. (I am, and will remain, a supporter but not a party member.)
This must be the first time any Lib Dem has ever been criticised for not taking enough about PR!