I have been a long standing supporter of electoral reform, however I disagree with alternative voting and campaigned against it.
On 20th July 2016 I voted in favour of a bill to amend the Representation of the People Acts. Although the bill failed to pass, it aimed to provide for the introduction of proportional representation (PR) as a method for electing Members of the House of Commons. The bill furthermore sought to reduce the voting age to 16 in all UK elections and referendums.
The 2015 General Election was the most disproportionate in British history, and showed clearly the limitations of our electoral system. In May, nearly half a million people signed petitions calling for a proportional voting system, joined by five party leaders from across the spectrum, while 61 percent of people back reform. Politics has become far more multi-party since 2010, but our out-dated First Past the Post system cannot keep up with how people's voting habits have changed.
Under PR there is a simple relationship of cause and effect for voters. If they vote for a candidate, they increase his or her chances of getting elected. If they vote for a party, they increase that party’s entitlement to seats. By doing this, they achieve more representation for their views. First past the post does not deliver seats that look like the votes cast, whereas PR does.
Sixteen-year-olds are considered old enough to enter into marriage and civil partnerships, pay income tax and national insurance, obtain welfare benefits in their own right, and join the armed forces, a political party or a trade union. It seems sensible that they should also help elect the MPs who make decisions about those very things.