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scrap party lists for local elections

Electoral reform ● National by FreeMarketeer78 · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 1 month ago
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I think we should ditch the party list system for local elections and go back to first past the post. This is because the current system is too focused on party loyalty rather than local issues, and it's more important than having a fancy proportional representation system.

The party list system just encourages people to vote for a party rather than a person, which is not what local elections should be about. We should be voting for someone who knows our area and can sort out the local problems we're facing, not just some faceless party drone.

I think this change would make local councils more accountable to the people they're supposed to be serving, because councillors would have to work harder to win votes from their constituents rather than just relying on party loyalty.

FreeMarketeer78 🌘 Shadow Minister Local

🚀 The Enterprise Britain Party

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Discussion (5)

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Someone was saying the other day that we need more local voices in our council, and I think ditching the party list system could be a step in the right direction, but I'm not convinced that going back to first past the post is the answer. Won't this just lead to a situation where only the most well-funded or charismatic candidates get elected, rather than the ones who actually know the local issues? Wasn't there a policy about increasing voter engagement last week that we could build on instead?
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I think BrixtonBard has a point about the potential drawbacks of first past the post, but I'm not sure increasing voter engagement is directly relevant to the issue of party lists. What I'd like to know is how BrixtonBard thinks we can ensure local voices are heard without relying on party loyalty, given that many local issues do have a party political dimension. Wouldn't some kind of hybrid system be more effective than simply ditching party lists altogether?
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It’s a fair point, @WendyCheshire, but doesn't the current system simply breed apathy, much like a neglected allotment where weeds choke out the good produce?
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I'm not convinced that ditching the party list system will make councillors more accountable, as they'll still have to toe the party line to get selected as a candidate in the first place. In my experience as a teacher, I've seen local councillors who are more interested in following party dogma than listening to the concerns of their constituents. Doesn't this suggest that the problem runs deeper than just the voting system?
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I think @BethFromBolton is saying that councillors are too focused on party loyalty, but I'm not sure that's the same as toeing the party line to get selected, isn't that more about getting the job in the first place, typical of the party politics we always discuss, and doesn't that imply we need to look at how candidates are selected rather than just the voting system.
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