Thursday, June 07, 2007

Assembly web site reinforces voting unease

While the content remains a little limited as we await progress of the 3rd Assembly term, I decided to look around Member profiles etc as there are some new faces I admit to being unfamiliar with. However I naturally started with Arfon to see what info Alun Ffred had posted.

Yet on searching under Arfon I am given a far wider range of contacts as the site also identifies the list members for North Wales. Now I am not sure that is fair on Alun Ffred as he is the AM for Arfon and I am not sure whether it is right to link the others in the same way ?

But having been linked to the others it reminds me of my previously expressed unease that Labour voters in Arfon (who helped stack up 51,000 second votes across North Wales) have no party link to the Assembly representatives. That link is reserved for Lib Dems, Plaid and Tory supporters.

Leaves me a little uneasy.

4 comments:

Alwyn ap Huw said...

That's the way the cookie crumbles under the present system (a system chosen by Labour despite misgivings by many in the Labour party and most in the other parties).

The Government of Wales Act 2006 could have changed the system. Despite recommendations by the all-party Richard's Commission to do so, Labour chose not to.

In short its Labour's fault that there are no Labour reps in the north for that 51K vote (which I agree is unfair).

How would you like to see the system changed?

Cai Larsen said...

Comparetively few people are in your position - of having "no representation" - Labour voters in Aberconwy, Clwyd West, Ynys Mon, Arfon, Blaenau Gwent, Cardiff North & Central & Monmouth.

This is a very small percentage of the electorate.

Under first past the post, most voters end up in this position. Without working it out I'd guess that over two thirds of the voters in the last British General Election ended up "without representation" - according to your definition of that term.

View from the Glen said...

Do you ever stop bleating!

If anything the Assembly web site is being fair and just providing constituents with contact details of all their AM's. This is a fair system.

Knowing that you can write to all four means that someone might listen to your needs.

AMs are there to serve not to get first dibbs on who should see their contact details.

Looks like your constituents had a lucky escape by not getting you elected!

I can see it now huffing and puffing around the bay demanding that you appear fist on the list!

Would you have organised a rally with a 6 foot document with your demands!

Martin Eaglestone said...

sorry you see it as bleeting. I am just trying to reflect some thoughts : don't take me so seriously - life is too short for that.

The "bleeting" about unfairness might lead me to some find interesting conclusions.