Greens show why we should have STV in Wales.

The Greens have produced their best (or worst) leaflet I've seen from them for the Assembly Election..

Best because it's professional and Bilingual (I suppose the Welsh is accurate) and well laid out.

Worst because they resort to negatice campaigning.

 

As you can see they are pointing out  that Labour because of the amount pf constituencies they will win in South Wales Central they are unlikely to win a "Top Up" on the Regional List and  the Greens then claim that it is a wasted vote. They can't claim this of the other "main" parties as Plaid, Conservatives and Libdem will all probably need a "Top up".

Hang on a minute! I was under the impression that the reason for the Regional  list,was to Top up the vote of Parties that have fought constituencies and have not received the number of seats that the percentage of votes under PR  would have entitled them.

So although I would welcome the election of a Green AM, it seems to me wrong that a Party that does not contest Constituencies  should only stand in the regional list and then argue for another Parties top up votes  in the way the Greens are doing .

It all means that they can fight relatively cheap elections and if they do not include the name of candidates on the leaflets can print them weeks before the election (probably cheaper) and not worry that a candidate may die or resign before the election nominations are in.


But although they are more professional they seem to have  joined in the Bar Graph "we can win here" game although they seem to have mixed up the labels on the small.Bar Graph they show above .

The reality is that if a Green or UKIP member is elected to the Assembly it will not be in the true spirit of the idea of the "Top Up" and is another argument that as in Northern Ireland elections for the assembly should be under STV, in which  the Greens can win seats on a more legitimate basis.