Let this be the last election under First Past the Post.

It will be rarely that I will be calling for an UK solution to be carried out throughout our Nations, but whatever happens in the election the next government must address the voting system throughout the UK and have a uniform method. of voting adopted.

In European Election in England Scotland and Wales We use a closed Party List system though not in Northern Ireland see below

Currently we elect our MP’s and our councillors in England and Wales.By First Past the Post (FTP) .

We Elect our Assembly Members (AMs) and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) by FTP and the Additional Members System, but in Wales you are not allowed to stand in a single constituency if you are also on the additional party list., whereas in Scotland you are, this was imposed from Westminster. However in Scotland councillors are elected by the Single Transferable Vote. (STV)

In Northern Ireland MEP’s Northern Ireland Assembly members and councillors are elected by STV.

At the last elections for the Scottish Parliament where they used the Additional Members System, and all the local council seats were contested under STV the mixture of voting systems caused great confusion and resulted in a far above average number of spoilt and disallowed ballots.

Clearly we can’t go on with like this .Labour have proposed a referendum in the next Parliament on yet another system the Alternative vote for UK elections but why not allow the electorate a choice of what systems they prefer.

To mind despite its flaws SV is the only alternative and as I believe this would be the preference of most of AMs and MSPs AND would extend it to our Assembly and Scottish Parliament.

It is said that STV breaks the tie with elected members and their constituents. But in the Irish Republic where they use STV. I am told that every male TD carries a white Carnation and a black tie in they car’s glove compartment as they need to be ready to attend Weddings and funerals of constituents in order to ingratiate themselves.

If there is a hung parliament let those elected seek to sort out this mess and improve our democratic system.