FIGURES. I know they’re boring. But please, do read these ones. Because they’re actually mind-boggling.
And if I had voted for the Green Party in the recent city council elections, I’d be pretty cross right now.
Their candidates received just over 6,600 votes – that’s more than a fifth of all the votes cast in the city - but not one of them was elected.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, lost a gobsmacking 5,000 votes from their 2017 tally, to just over 8,000.
Yet although that cost them overall control of the Guildhall, they still have 11 councillors.
Look at those outcomes. They are totally out of proportion. You cannot possibly argue that they fairly reflect the opinions of the Salisbury public.
Meanwhile Labour lost 900-odd votes, and the LibDems, despite the stonking victory of Paul Sample in the St Edmunds ward, pretty well stood still.
The LibDems, on just over 7,400 votes, got roughly 2,000 more than Labour, yet each party has six councillors.
This is not really meant to be a complaint on my own behalf, but independents, I’d like to point out, gained 2,763 votes and sadly only one councillor (moi). So why don’t independents deserve one-third as many council seats as the Tories, when we got one-third as many votes?
The system is nuts. On this occasion it hasn’t even delivered what some argue is its big benefit, i.e. a clear mandate.
The sooner that government adopts some form of proportional representation, both locally and nationally, the sooner we will be able to feel proud that our democracy really does represent the will of the people.
And if I had voted for the Green Party in the recent city council elections, I’d be pretty cross right now.
Their candidates received just over 6,600 votes – that’s more than a fifth of all the votes cast in the city - but not one of them was elected.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, lost a gobsmacking 5,000 votes from their 2017 tally, to just over 8,000.
Yet although that cost them overall control of the Guildhall, they still have 11 councillors.
Look at those outcomes. They are totally out of proportion. You cannot possibly argue that they fairly reflect the opinions of the Salisbury public.
Meanwhile Labour lost 900-odd votes, and the LibDems, despite the stonking victory of Paul Sample in the St Edmunds ward, pretty well stood still.
The LibDems, on just over 7,400 votes, got roughly 2,000 more than Labour, yet each party has six councillors.
This is not really meant to be a complaint on my own behalf, but independents, I’d like to point out, gained 2,763 votes and sadly only one councillor (moi). So why don’t independents deserve one-third as many council seats as the Tories, when we got one-third as many votes?
The system is nuts. On this occasion it hasn’t even delivered what some argue is its big benefit, i.e. a clear mandate.
The sooner that government adopts some form of proportional representation, both locally and nationally, the sooner we will be able to feel proud that our democracy really does represent the will of the people.
That is shocking.
ReplyDeleteAnnie ... thank you for these words of both acknowledgement and questioning. As was clear from the Transition City election husting event there is much common ground between all those who want to work in Salisbury's best interest. The Green voice is strong and growing and I would welcome a conversation with you around where the 6600 Green votes/voices can provide support and action.
ReplyDeleteRick Page Salisbury Greens
page.rick7@gmail.com