Barmpot
George MonbiotThe only way Reform UK could win a general election is through our first-past-the-post system.
If we had proportional representation, the threat would evaporate.
We don't have PR because Starmer has blocked it.
This allows him to say: vote Labour or you get Farage.
Because it's all he has left.
It seems so obvious that I struggle to understand how people fail to see it. Starmer tells us that *WE* have to stop Reform by voting Labour, whereas *HE* could do it by introducing PR. But then we'd lose any remaining incentive to vote for his party.
Aaron In Minnesota@georgemonbiot.bsky.social Very similar strategy employed by Democrats in US. They play like they have no power to fix our broken system, and tell voters it is on them. Then they blame voters when things go sour.
Phil@georgemonbiot.bsky.social If New Zealand's current Mixed Member Proportional government proves anything, it's that the threat of minor far-right parties absolutely does not evaporate. Particularly if your major party's leader is especially weak and/or unprincipled.
Rob@paw @georgemonbiot.bsky.social
Last year here in the Netherlands we saw the power of PR when Geert Wilders, the Dutch equivalent to Farage, won the national vote. Like Farage, they campaigned on single, emotive issues with no true vision for the future of the country and that got them a large portion of protest votes.
However, none of the other large parties wanted to work with him, denying him an overall majority and the opportunity to form a government.
@Eurospoofer @georgemonbiot.bsky.social I should clarify: I strongly believe MMP / PR is vastly superior to First Past the Post systems, but mixed representation brings different challenges and considerations.
Pete Alex Harris🦡🕸️🌲/∞🪐∫@georgemonbiot.bsky.social
It's not much, now people are saying vote Green or you'll get Reform, or a Labour increasingly like Reform.
A fringe centrist party with low popularity like Labour, facing a likely FPTP wipeout at the next GE like the Tories got at the last one, should be absolutely steam-rollering PR through the commons.
RegAgreed. FPTP is a bipartite system that can be sketchy when multiple parties compete in heavily split elections. History suggests that the Westminster incumbents will take the beating.
Labour may well implement PR if polls suggest that FPTP has become an existential threat to them.
@ReggieHere @georgemonbiot.bsky.social
I fucking hope so, because it's an existential threat to several people I love if Reform get in.
I fucking hope so, because it's an existential threat to several people I love if Reform get in.
I'm hoping that they'll fail regardless.
American political influencers assume that the UK is like the US, and a hard-right, theocratic govt can capitalise on a general disillusionment with liberalism to get elected. In reality, the UK as a whole is not religious and has political alternatives to both the fair-right and centrism.
spanghero@ReggieHere @petealexharris @georgemonbiot.bsky.social Labour are fast running out of time to implement it, assuming they even wanted to. I'm very sceptical and don't believe they have an implementable plan at this point, either.
Well, they're running the risk of a Scotland-style wipeout in England and Wales if they stick with FPTP, but tbh I don't think too many people will mourn the loss.
Gert V 🇵🇸@georgemonbiot.bsky.social One has to wonder what Starmer will be remembered for.
Hugo Mills@gert @georgemonbiot.bsky.social Starmer? Who?
The next General Election in the UK may well be a mirror of the Scottish elections that saw the decimation of first the Tories and then the Labour Party.
If the Westminster vote does collapse then RefUK can no longer rely on votes from people who are tired of insipid centrism, and the Greens, Plaid and SNP have every chance os a parliamentary majority.
Labour meanwhile could avoid a wipe-out by implementing PR.
David Chisnall (*Now with 50% more sarcasm!*)This is a strange comment from someone that I know is familiar with how the Nazi party gained power in Germany.
Yves D@georgemonbiot.bsky.social I'm the head of a "democratic innovation" network in europe, and for the UK this would be the major "innovation"...before you start looking at intricate apps with AI to connect citizens to policy or whatever...fptp is outdated for decades already (blair had massive victories but calculated on voting age population his legitimacy was not spectacular compared to run of the mill German coalition governments).
WylieCoyoteUK 
@georgemonbiot.bsky.social A move to PR was floated by labour in the Thatcher era. Once they got into power, it was quietly dropped.
If they hadn't, the Tories might not have got in again.
The Lib Dems tried for it in coalition, but the Tory party effectively shot it down.
If they hadn't, the Tories might not have got in again.
The Lib Dems tried for it in coalition, but the Tory party effectively shot it down.
Peter Brown@georgemonbiot.bsky.social difficult to tell as Scottish politics are obviously different but I wonder if English greens have a chance?