Letter: Votes for PR

M. G. Parsons
Wednesday 30 September 1998 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Sir: The only people who accept the whole of any party's manifesto are those who wrote it. The elector has only one cross to make, and has to judge between many, many issues. Having placed his one cross, he or she does not subscribe to every part of that candidate's address.

Under proportional representation, the overlapping policies are those which pass the House of Commons. If Labour and the Liberal Democrats are generally inclined towards the euro, representing a majority of elected members in a new PR House, then it will be accepted, as the people will have voted for that House.

Similarly, since the Lib Dems look to increased taxes and lower interest rates, while the Labour and Conservative Parties take the contrary view, that would not pass. That is democracy.

The present system whereby the Government party is said to have a mandate for absolutely everything in its manifesto is, frankly, absurd, given the fact that no party in my lifetime has ever gained a majority of votes cast.

M G PARSONS

Pontyclun, Mid-Glamorgan

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in