Re: I would love to know your thoughts on this!

But that was my point earlier people are not voting, in Some areas the polls are very badly represented as people have given up.

Re: I would love to know your thoughts on this!

I agree Meg, and you don't have to vote for your MP to be able to ask questions.
I didn't vote for my Tory MP but she has been able to prove her worth by her response to my letters over the last 6 years, so she will get my vote this time

Re: I would love to know your thoughts on this!

Therein lies another reason in favour of PR. It doesn't matter who has the most support in each constituency. The total votes are considered and MPs are elected in proportion.

Re: I would love to know your thoughts on this!

It's not the least bit democratic, that's simply an illusion. Whoeever you vote for, you are voting for the same ruling body. The same agendas will be metered out, the same actions will occur, whether you vote Lib, Lab or Con.

People should have quickly realised that when they voted Blair in with such an enormous majority and then suddenly saw him fail to implement his manefesto promises and take us into war in the Middle East.

You vote is a pure illusion, it has absolutely no weight, no impact, no purpose, other than to make you think you have had some element of choice.

People are easily pacified, easily controlled by the media. They are generally lazy, prefering to allow their minds to be dumbed down and made stupified through watching moronic chat shows and soaps and "non reality TV". They can be swayed oh so easily. Just with a little bit of news coverage they can be made to love, to hate, to be angry, to be sympathetic to someone and so on.

You can not improve the system because the people running it will never allow their positions of total control and power and wealth to be compromised. Voting for people and political parties is a nonsense. Who cares who heads up the party? What matters are the decisions and actions being taken. So a truly democratic system would allow the populous to vote on every major decision. Decisions on education, taxes, the NHS, wars etc etc. Obviously we will never be allowed such. To do so would compromise the control of the elite. How about a vote on legalising cannabis? How about a vote on allowing people to medicate themselves without prescriptions?

Imagine the level of education the population would need to be able to vote effectively on issues. That education would never be forthcoming, it would take too long, be too difficult. So we are left with a different "evil". To give power to a bunch of other people, hoping that they will do what's right, but as we know, they do what's right for them, what keeps them in power and wealthy.

There is no solution here. Revolution of course could overturn a ruling power, but would see it replaced with another and the same corruption would ensue.

WHat matters then is that we THINK for ourselves, see and understand the trap we are caught in, see that we can't change it, and then find ways to exist within it with a reasonable quality of life. That can be hard for many, but it's all you can do.

Alternatively you can spend all your hours ranting and raving in an armchair about pathetic party political issues duping yourself into believing that party politics has meaning and is real. It's truly sad to see people caught in that trap.

My advice is to put aside what you think is party politics and democracy. It doesn't exist. Understand the situation you are in, research the things that matter in life, your food, your water, health issues, health cures, nature and so on. Remove from your life the dependency on money to the extent that you understand its necessity for the basics but that you don't need to be ruled by it or have your life steered by it. Curb your wants and desires (which are largely brainwashed into you by the corrupt media anyway) and seek to live frugally, simply, peacefully and in harmony with your neighbour.

You will never be truly free now, not in the technological world we have. You will always be a subject, a controlled subject. But you can and should live your life as free from the constraints as possible and be wise enough and skeptical enough to easily spot the nefarious ways the system attempts to remove your liberties and choices.

Re: I would love to know your thoughts on this!

That's a good idea, Twink

Re: I would love to know your thoughts on this!

The fact that the referendum result came as a shock proves how out of touch MPs are. Personally, I think it might be better if we didn't have political parties, but another system. So often, you have to choose between voting for a party, or voting for a person. Very often, there is a candidate who you feel would make an excellent MP but you don't want to vote for the party they represent.

Re: I would love to know your thoughts on this!

Good point.

How about if and when the Lords is reformed, we end up having two fully elected houses?

The Commons could, as now, consist of MPs elected as local representatives of the constituents. Each member of the constituency would have that person as their representative in Parliament, and would have access to them to make their needs known.

The Lords (or perhaps a more appropriate name might be adopted!) could consist of members elected under Proportional Representation. This would ensure a more representative number of MPs in that house in proportion to the actual number of votes cast nationally, and would overcome the present situation of many people feeling that their votes are not counting.