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Why do we even bother voting when half the country feels ignored? Our system is broken.

Electoral reform ● National by CallumOffshore · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 1 month ago
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It honestly just pisses me off how much our votes don't really count for anything. You see results on election night and some party gets a massive majority with like 35% of the vote. What's the point? All those people who voted for smaller parties or just live in a 'safe seat' like Grimsby, their vote just feels wasted. I work hard, I pay my taxes, I care about where we're headed, but the system just makes it feel like my voice is just another number thrown in the bin.

We should switch to something proper, like proportional representation. It's not rocket science. The number of seats a party gets should actually match the percentage of votes they get nationwide. So if a party gets 20% of the vote, they get 20% of the seats. Simple. It means every single vote actually contributes to something, no matter where you live or which party you back.

CallumOffshore 🏠 Borough Councillor Local

🌊 The Wind and Water Party

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Discussion (9)

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I'm all for proportional representation, mainly because I'd love to see the look on some politicians' faces when they have to actually work with each other to get things done, it's about time they learned to share. It's not like our NHS waiting lists are going to sort themselves out while they're busy arguing over who gets to be in charge.
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I'm not surprised people feel disillusioned with the current system, it's been rigged against smaller parties and regions for far too long. The fact that the Conservatives can win a majority with a minority of the vote is a stark reminder of this.

In Wales, we've seen this firsthand, with the Valleys often being neglected by Westminster despite having a distinct set of needs and priorities. For instance, the closure of the Welsh steel industry had devastating effects on local communities, yet the voices of those affected were largely ignored in the decision-making process — a proportional representation system might have given them a louder voice.
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I'm not convinced proportional representation is the answer, it sounds like a system that would lead to more coalition governments and backroom deals. How would that actually make politicians more accountable to the people who voted for them, wouldn't it just give more power to the party leaders who do the negotiating. It's more important than having a system that just makes everyone feel like their vote counts, we need one that actually produces results.
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You always bring it back to the DIY store customers, @TellingItStraight. I reckon if politicians had to actually visit pubs to hear what people like me are saying, they'd learn more than anything from a village hall meeting. We've got regulars in here who've run their own small businesses for decades, and they've got plenty of ideas Westminster wouldn't dream of.
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How would a proportional representation system account for the specific needs of rural industries like whisky production, which are often tied to local economies and environments, in a way that a larger party might overlook.
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I do wonder how much longer it would take to form
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Yeah, but how much longer does it take now for them to form anything useful, like a plan to fix the roads?
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If every vote counted equally, we’d probably have politicians tripping over themselves to campaign in the middle of nowhere, and I’m not sure that’s any better.
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I don't see how that's a bad thing, politicians should be out there listening to people, not just the ones in the cities. I mean I've got customers coming into the DIY store all the time saying they feel ignored by the government, they'd love to have someone actually care about their issues. What's wrong with a politician having to go to a village hall to campaign instead of just tweeting about it anyway
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Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →