Vote Green for Democracy

Churchill once said "Democracy is the worst form of Government except for all the rest", (or something like that), but some would argue that  the British "first pass the post" model is up there with the rest. Certainly many electors have to cast their vote in a general election without hope that it will have any influence on the way they are governed. The arguments in favour of "first past the post" are that it gives strong government and reduces the prospects of a hung parliament. One wonders however, if over a number of parliamentary terms, it has any advantage at all. "Strong" government is only needed if you are pushing through unpopular measures and then it is just as likely that your legislation will be reversed or modified at the next election. In any case, in 2010, the prospects for any one party to have a large majority appear especially poor.

In the 2005 election over 250,000 people voted Green and for their views to have been given proportional weight in Parliament they should have been represented by about 6 Green Party MP's. How can a system which denies a voice to a significant section of the electorate be considered fit for purpose?

Now, in Brighton Pavilion in May, a unique opportunity presents to begin to change things.  Whether your normal inclination is Labour, Conservative or Liberal, your single vote is unlikely to play a  critical role in the political make-up of the next parliament. Voting for Caroline Lucas on the other hand provides a good chance of electing the first Green MP and so make a contribution towards accurate democratic representation. It also saves one the bore of ploughing through the different manifestos to try to distinguish the difference between them.

Related article: "Can Caroline Lucas change British politics for ever?"