Clegg Throws the People Under the Bus

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Clegg Throws the People Under the Bus

Michael Collins sees the aftermath of UK elections — and a Liberal Democrat alliance with Conservatives — as a perversion of proportional representation, the foundation of the Liberal Democrats' platform.

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats have long argued that they have the answer to representing the true will of the public in elections - proportional voting. The "winner-take-all" voting system which awards just one representative per district was to be replaced by one that elected one member per district in a more equitable fashion and additional members of parliament on a regional basis in proportion to votes cast. The Liberal Democrats and Clegg argue that this approach voting lets each major faction gain some representation.

Ordinary politician that he is, Clegg abandoned the proportional approach for a Tory offer which is not proportional at all. The Liberal Democrats are floating the idea that this is some sort of breakthrough despite the fact that the Tory version of alternative voting produces results similar to those the Liberal Democrats seek to remedy.

Clegg's cave-in on proportional voting is not just about some future reform. Through his alliance with Conservatives, he embraced a governing partner that is at odds with his purported views and those of his party. He has chosen to ignore the majority will of the voters.



Previously:
British Elections: The Leaders' Debate - Foreign Affairs
http://agonist.org/leadersdebate

and

British Election Leaders' Debate - The Grand Betrayal
http://agonist.org/leadersdebate3