Should Ireland move to First Past the Post?

The Brigadier

Just a thought. I personally believe single party governments are stronger and able to get more done. You also get less of the horse trading.

If Ireland moved to first past the post it would more in the way of single party governments which is surely a good thing?

Dionysus

The Brigadier wrote: »

Just a thought. I personally believe single party governments are stronger and able to get more done. You also get less of the horse trading.

If Ireland moved to first past the post it would more in the way of single party governments which is surely a good thing?

No; moving to the Westminster system would be a deeply regressive step by any standards. There are numerous other, more intelligent and more representative, systems which will tackle the problem of clientalism in the Irish electoral system while maintaining a greater degree of democratic representation than the Westminster system would offer us.

retalivity

no.

it squeezes out smaller parties, independents and different voices.

SugarHigh

There was a newnight discussion which said that if the U.K had the PR system there wouldn't have been any extra coalition governments in the past 30 years. They of course were using a lot of estimates.

Sulmac

Christ no!

If anything we should bring in a list system (or a partial-list system at the very least).

Pauleta

Im starting to believe in first past the post a bit more, especially with the worrying trend of left-wing extremists.

maringo

Definitely not! People like Ming or Mick Wallace wouldn't have a chance of getting elected under that system and politics would be sooo dull

joulter

if we are going to get rid of pr we should move to a partial list system. there was 2 referendums in the past to change to fptp but it was defeated both times. people see that fptp only suits the large parties

Reilly616

The Brigadier wrote: »

Just a thought. I personally believe single party governments are stronger and able to get more done. You also get less of the horse trading.

A benevolent dictator is even more strong and able to get things done.

doomed

Absolutely not

You end up with Governments that are generally opposed by the majority of the electorate. I know that happens here as well but not on the day after the count.

irishh_bob

The Brigadier wrote: »

Just a thought. I personally believe single party governments are stronger and able to get more done. You also get less of the horse trading.

If Ireland moved to first past the post it would more in the way of single party governments which is surely a good thing?

competley agree , i hate our system

Sad Professor

No, absolutely not. The problem with FPTP is the lack of representation. If you live a constituency dominated by a particular party, there's almost no point voting. And even if you do vote, you have to vote for the next largest party, whether you agree with them or not, as nobody else has any chance of being elected.

Multiple parties are a good thing. Minorities should have a voice in parliament. Two party systems do result in more stable government, but that doesn't mean they are any less divided. The debate just takes place within the party instead of in the parliament for all to see.

The problem of clientelism would be solved by some sort of PR-List system.

Btw - STV is a type of PR. It's a mistake to tar all PR with the same brush.

loldog

No way, you end up with the tyranny of the minority.

.

doomed

People who support FPP do so when their party is in the lead but rarely otherwise. If we had that system Fianna Fail would still be in power and Biffo would be in place until 2012. Be careful what you wish for!

Syferus

Alot of Britain has been trying to rid itself of first past the post for the last few elections, and for good reason.

Not only is our system fairer but it also safe guards against disenfranchisement. Any changes need to modify the existing system, not replace it. I'd also see huge flaws in a list system so I'd be wary as to even throwing that in the mixture. The voting system is one of the few unbroken things about our political system.

murpho999

I would leave system exactly as it is, as it has done us good in the past.

OP is forgetting that current UK government is a coalition.

It is good to have a representative of mixed parties, and a constituency with more than 1 seat.

Some parts of UK they might as well not vote as they are historical Labour or Tory and that's it.

Also, List system is not that great, means you have no say over which politican gets elected. Instead party gets elected and they choose there own parliamentarians.....TD's should always be elected by the people.

People often in Ireland are often quick to criticise Ireland but in the case of PR I think they have got it right and I wouldn't change it.

Also, as a spectacle, all the different votes keep the elections interesting and exciting!