Proportional Representation

No! No! No!
PR would have meant MPs from UKIP and BNP.
Is that what you want?
I want my own local MP representing my local constituency who I can approach with concerns, even if he or she isn't the one I actually voted for.

Heaven's NO! For exactly the same reasons as above!

That's fine - it is just there for those who think otherwise.

In our constituency the same party gets in every time (not who I ever vote for) when the majority of those in the constituency voted against him. Does that make sense?

No - how can that be?

Sorry, I do understand. He didn't get more than 50% of the votes, but still had the most.

There is another way of doing it which would be to hold a second election with just the top two candidates if no one got over 50% the first round. I think that is what they do in France as I know here there are sometimes second elections the following week.

Spot on Ana! - every blooming time!

Ooh, I like that idea Welshwife.

The UK referendum on PR was a vote on something similar to WW's suggestion but it was rejected.

For te Welsh Assembly Elections some seats are the straightforward first past the post but some are a for. If Prop. Rep and I think you have to number candidates and those results take a few days. AB or Jess etc might know more exactly - I wasn't allowed vote in the last election being in France.

Yes, that was for AV, which isn't really similar, no second election is needed. I think it's the system the political parties use to elect their leader.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12892836

We would probably end up with the parties trying to form a coalition every time and being pulled further to the right or to the left in an attempt to form a government.

I agree Jalima.

Ana I think AV is similar to a second election. I think you vote for your second choice as well as first and your second vote counts if your first choice is last. Not exactly the same though, I agree. I have to say I'be never been on PR myself for the reasons given, but having said that I thought the Tory/Liberal coalition worked reasonably well. I doubt I'm in a majority there though!

It is said that the minority party or parties lose out in a coalition.
If things go well, the major party takes the credit.
If things go badly, the minor party takes the blame.
I think the liberals would somewhat agree with that atleast, last time around.

I guess the minor party will have to make the most concessions which will upset their traditional supporters. But Liberal support is growing again. If they are sensible they will see that the only form of power they are ever likely to get is via a coalition.

The coalition government from 2010-2015 enacted some good LibDem policies such as raising the tax-free personal allowance and introducing the pupil premium which increased funding to schools with more disadvantaged children. The LibDems were also able to prevent some of the harsh Tory policies we have seen since then.

In other successful countries coalitions are the norm but this was the first peace time coalition government in the UK and voters took time to get used to the idea.

For most of our lifetimes the two biggest parties, Labour and Tory, have taken turns to impose their policies on the basis of a so-called mandate when in fact they only had the support of a minority of voters. This is undemocratic but has always been supported by the powerful media barons who prefer confrontational two party politics to the idea of co-operation. It is time for the UK to grow up and adopt a fairer and better system of voting.

www.makevotesmatter.org.uk/proportional-representation/

Only if you want a coalition government every GE.

Germany has had a coalition governments since the end of WW2 and isn't doing too badly. Relative continuity has enabled governments to plan for the future, knowing that whatever they do won't be overturned completely by the next government.

The UK might be a much more successful country if we were willing to look elsewhere to see what works - in so many areas of politics and life.

PR works well in Germany, but maybe not so well in Italy and Greece!

Anyone who thinks a second election the following week is a good idea has never canvassed

PR doesn't necessarily need a second election.

Problems in Italy and Greece can be attributed to other issues apart from PR.