Unlike nearly all countries in Europe, the UK has a first-past-the-post election system. Natalie Bennett, Green Party leader and Amelia Womack, Deputy Green Party leader were amongst those handing in a petition for a fair voting system to 10 Downing Street today.
Councillor David Williams, leader of the Green Group on Oxfordshire County Council, comments on the results of the General Election:
“A Conservative vote of less than 37% of those voting in the General Election has given the Conservatives a majority in Parliament under our anachronistic first-past-the-post electoral system. Such a minority vote means that the current Government has no mandate for its policies, unlike the previous Coalition which was backed by a majority of those who voted in 2010. 63% of those who voted in 2015 did not vote Conservative. In Oxfordshire, 49% of those who voted chose to vote Conservative, but less than half the vote provided the Conservatives with five out of six parliamentary seats in the County. There is no fairness in this result.
“The Green Party’s 1.1 million votes gave the Party just one MP. Under proportional representation, this should have meant 24 Green Party MPs in Parliament. But it would also have meant another Coalition government based on what people in the UK actually voted."
The Green Party is calling for proportional representation in elections and is supporting the campaign by the Electoral Reform Society.
“One day we will live in a democracy in which our votes are reflected in the political compositionof our Parliament. But that day has not come yet. The Green Party challenges Labour leadership candidates to stand up for democracy and support proportional representation for parliamentary elections.”
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