Tag Archives: joseph rowntree reform trust

Strong public support for electoral reform, weekend voting and fixed term Parliaments in new poll

The public overwhelmingly backs major  changes to the way our electoral system is run according to a new poll commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.

Just under two-thirds of people (65%) agree that, “This country should adopt a new voting system that would give parties seats in Parliament in proportion to their share of votes” and 59% support holding a referendum on changing the voting system used for Parliament. That later number is particularly strong given Gordon Brown’s strong support for the idea; usually having an unpopular high profile figure back a policy makes it less popular.

But the strongest support …

Posted in Election law, News and Polls | Also tagged , , and | 5 Comments

Opposition to I.D. cards grows (if people reminded about costs)

More than half the public (53%) think ID cards are a bad or very bad idea when reminded that “The government has proposed the introduction of identity cards that, in combination with your passport, will cost around £93”. This compares to 37% saying they are a good or very good idea.

Opposition to ID cards has grown since 2006 when only 33% opposed the idea.

You can read more about the Liberal Democrat opposition to ID cards over on the Freedom Bill website.

The results are from the State of the Nation Survey 2010, a new poll of 2,288  people aged 18+

Posted in News | Also tagged and | 2 Comments

Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust £2m donation – how it’s being spent

It has been suggested that the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust’s donation of £2m to the Liberal Democrats is there to cover our backs in case we have to default £2.4m in the wake of the Michael Brown affair.

The Trust have published information which finally puts this notion to bed, and revealed that the donation is ring-fenced:

  • £100,000 goes towards the running of the leader’s office
  • £537,500 towards the cost of “a database” (more on this to follow in time)
  • £200,000 towards diversity measures (the Steve Hitchins fund)
  • £500,000 towards the 2007 elections campaigns in England, Scotland and Wales
  • £500,000 towards the cost of the next

Posted in News | 9 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Greg Hyde
    Paul; Your reply is a reminder that progressive politics is full of people who don’t understand - or don’t care about - the issues driving public anger....
  • David Sparrow
    A pity we couldn’t field at least a paper candidate in Mansfield, our leader Ed’s birthplace!...
  • Paul
    @Greg Hyde “Like so many post industrial UK towns, Wales is seeing demographic changes in their communities that they never asked or were consulted on. ” ...
  • Greg Hyde
    The collapse in that Labour vote across those by-elections. Their Comms have been dreadful in all honesty....
  • Nonconformistradical
    @Jenny Barnes "you go back to the last time they were sold, whenever that was, and increase by house price inflation since then." As far as I know not all p...