gren.elliotWas on a #makevotesmatter call a couple of days ago when someone I admire said he only switched to supporting #ProportionalRepresenttion when he realised you didn't have to use #multiMemberConstituencies. He disliked this because of less local representation. As an #STV fan, this triggered some soul searching.
I've come to the conclusion that the constituency link requirement is bogus. Effectively, it is telling voters before they even vote that their most important issue is local representation. Clearly, that is an important consideration but I bet given the choice most voters would rather be represented by a like minded person than someone who lives near by. For instance, I've frequently considered writing to my MP. Only done it once because 99% of the time he has clearly demonstrated that he opposes what I want, so he ain't going to advocate for me...
I've come to the conclusion that the constituency link requirement is bogus. Effectively, it is telling voters before they even vote that their most important issue is local representation. Clearly, that is an important consideration but I bet given the choice most voters would rather be represented by a like minded person than someone who lives near by. For instance, I've frequently considered writing to my MP. Only done it once because 99% of the time he has clearly demonstrated that he opposes what I want, so he ain't going to advocate for me...