tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post3617619844463791549..comments2023-10-27T07:50:27.411+01:00Comments on Next Left: All five Labour leadership candidates say they back the Alternative VoteTom Hampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917325958130851128noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-78800598282283491392010-06-14T21:57:45.163+01:002010-06-14T21:57:45.163+01:00Slightly disappointed... I would have hoped at lea...Slightly disappointed... I would have hoped at least one contestant supported PR. Ed must know better than the old, PR will let the BNP in...<br /><br />To be honest, I've never quite understood how any Labour supporter can oppose PR. Obviously it may threaten the duopoly on power which has proved very useful for Labour, but it goes against our principles:<br /><br />1) Labour is democratic, PR is democratic. It removes tactical voting, it encourages positive campaigning, it opens up politics, under STV it can strengthen the constituency link. Need I say more?<br /><br />2) One of the oldest ambitions of the Labour movement is the classless society (or at least a society in which there is a less immediate division between people of different socio-economic backgrounds). But as it stands, one of the greatest causes of class conflict is the party tribalism linked with our current two-party system. How can we ever hope to progress to a more socially equal society if our politics is limited to a "party for the rich" and a "party for the poor"?<br /><br />3) PR would stop the tories ever ruling on their own again. Let us not let the current coalition mislead us, Britain is fundamentally a social democratic nation.Daanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09223026038413034523noreply@blogger.com