There is no way Nick Clegg will get his new voting system introduced. While David Cameron has said a referendum will be held, he is not interested in changing, neither is the Labour Party. When the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition cuts spending and makes life harder with more unemployment who is going to be blamed? It will definitely be the Liberal Democrats. After all, the Conservatives will only do it with Liberal Democrat support.
A referendum will take place when spending cuts take effect. British people will hit the Lib Dems hard when they vote. First past the post is like the monarchy in Britain - it is an institution. There is little doubt that this is not a new beginning for the Lib Dems. This will be the only time they experience power.
The British public are to be offered the Australian system of preferential voting. In Australia this "twisted' form of voting is responsible for the Senate being continually unworkable with the ruling party not being able to get much of its legislation passed. It was brought in to stop the Liberal Party, which is in reality a conservative party, from losing power by locking them into a permanent coalition with the National Party. While the coalition benefits the Liberal Party is does absolutely nothing for the National Party. The smaller party has its own policies but the Liberals always give them a few cabinet posts and tells them to shut up. Though the National Party gets the post of Deputy Prime Minister it is expected to follow Liberal policy. The National Party in Australia is a laughing stock. It just makes up the numbers.
What upset the system was the emergence of first the Australian Democrats and then the Greens. The Democrats are in decline now. However, the Greens are gaining momentum. The problem for the Coalition is that the majority of Greens give their second preference to Labor. Indeed, in some elections Labor has virtually won office on Green and Democrat preferences. The system has not benefited minor parties much in the lower house. Minor parties do hold power in the upper house. This has seriously weakened the governing Labor Party. It is ironic - the Greens put Labor in power, then block legislation in the upper house.
A referendum will take place when spending cuts take effect. British people will hit the Lib Dems hard when they vote. First past the post is like the monarchy in Britain - it is an institution. There is little doubt that this is not a new beginning for the Lib Dems. This will be the only time they experience power.
The British public are to be offered the Australian system of preferential voting. In Australia this "twisted' form of voting is responsible for the Senate being continually unworkable with the ruling party not being able to get much of its legislation passed. It was brought in to stop the Liberal Party, which is in reality a conservative party, from losing power by locking them into a permanent coalition with the National Party. While the coalition benefits the Liberal Party is does absolutely nothing for the National Party. The smaller party has its own policies but the Liberals always give them a few cabinet posts and tells them to shut up. Though the National Party gets the post of Deputy Prime Minister it is expected to follow Liberal policy. The National Party in Australia is a laughing stock. It just makes up the numbers.
What upset the system was the emergence of first the Australian Democrats and then the Greens. The Democrats are in decline now. However, the Greens are gaining momentum. The problem for the Coalition is that the majority of Greens give their second preference to Labor. Indeed, in some elections Labor has virtually won office on Green and Democrat preferences. The system has not benefited minor parties much in the lower house. Minor parties do hold power in the upper house. This has seriously weakened the governing Labor Party. It is ironic - the Greens put Labor in power, then block legislation in the upper house.
