Dare You Vote YES to Alternative Voting? (From York Press)

Dare You Vote YES to Alternative Voting?

5:06pm Sunday 17th April 2011 in John Bird By John Bird

Don't give up on democracy just because you are frustrated with the way parliament doesn't seem to reflect your views. Remember it was only in 1928 that men and women in Great Britain were all granted the vote at the age of 21, only 83 years ago!

We only have that vote because our forefathers (or for some older people our fathers and mothers) protested and fought and in some cases died to bring about change.

I look at the bravery of people in the middle east as they carry out their largely unarmed protest and wonder what the outcome will be there. It isn't long since we were watching similar protests in those countries that were part of the former USSR, where huge crowds of unarmed protesters claimed their freedom in the same way.

Are we going to give up and do nothing because we can't be bothered to think about voting?

Let's not give up and leave things as they are. If we do that then we are letting down those who have tried before us to make this country a better place. So David Cameron and George Osborne think we should leave voting as it is, so what! Hands up all those who think these two have got everything right. Don't get me wrong I'm not Tory bashing, as although I don't agree with everything they've done, I like the fact that they respond to pressure and apologise when they've got it wrong and change or at least promise to review policy, if large numbers of people object. I think that isn't weakness but a refreshing show of common sense. I still think that isn't enough to say we don't need change.

The change to AV or Alternative Voting will mean that you can have more say in who is voted in, so what can be wrong with that? I'm not convinced it will lead to a load of tiny parties being voted in but if it does then isn't it better to have minority views aired and argued in parliament rather than have people try to grab headlines for their views through acts of violence.

Unless you believe our present voting system is perfect be brave and say yes to Alternative Voting and take the same responsibility for change our forefathers did.

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