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Tories heading for landslide election defeat, says Britain’s top pollster
(www.independent.co.uk)
this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2023
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UK Politics
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People often make this argument, that PR would somehow lock in left wing governance, but that simply hasn't been the experience in other countries that have adopted it. We'd get just as many Tory minorities, propped up by Lib Dem or whatever Ukip's called these days, as the other way around.
What we wouldn't get, though, are 80+ seat Tory majorities on 35% of the vote. There's also the fact that in countries with PR, right-wing governments are closer to the centre than they are in countries without it. Minority governments and coalitions have to compromise to get anything done, which leads to better, more balanced legislation more often, while taking into account a broader range of viewpoints which, crucially, represent the whole country and not just a segment of it.
Yes, and I agree that's broadly a good thing. But it also means the likes of Ukip end up in government.
We already have the valorisation of compromise under FPTP in the form of battling for the 'centre ground': parties compromise with the electorate in order to win. Under PR, parties compromise with each other in order to govern.
Is one better than the other? I think PR is better, because the compromise is continuous. But there's not a lot in it.
This is why although I basically agree PR is a good thing, I don't prioritise it.