One of the fundamental principles of democracy is that each vote is of equal value. Because this is not the case in the United Kingdom our democracy is flawed. The Western Isles (renamed) has just over 22,000 electors. They elect one MP. The Isle of Wight have 110,924 electors. They have one MP so a vote in the Western Isles is worth five times the vote in the Isle of Wight.
In the European Parliament the United Kingdom has 73 members, yet the 15 smallest countries in the European Union with a combined electorate two million less than the United Kingdom has 173 members, so a vote in these smaller countries is worth approximately two and a half times more than in the United Kingdom.
These distortions in our democracy are a scandal and a disgrace. They distort the democratic process. When are the politicians going to do something about it?
John Strafford is a political commentator, writer and historian; author of Our Fight for Democracy. John has a long political history of activism (leading the Conservative campaign for Yes to AV) and has been an active member of the political community through out the decades - with regular Newsnight,Today,and World at One appearances. Contact me at: johnstrafford@btinternet.com
Pages
- Home
- "Our Fight for Democracy"
- Index of book
- Preface of "Our Fight for Democracy"
- Book - Order Form
- Introduction - The Meaning of Democracy
- Roman Britain to Magna Carta - 1215
- Parliament to the Divine Right of Kings 1216 to 1603
- Monarchy to a Republic and back 1603-1685
- Bill of Rights to the American War of Independence - 1685 to 1780
- Pitt the Younger to Catholic Emancipation - 1780 to 1830
- The Great Reform Act and its aftermath - 1830 to 1860
- The Second Reform Act to the end of the Century 1860 to 1900
- The Twentieth Century - Votes for women at last - 1900 to 1928
- Constitutional Crisis to the present - 1929 to date
- Conclusions
- The Institutions and other aspects of Democracy - Local Government, Assemblies
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