Liberal Party Response to proposed combining 2009 Local and Euro Elections

From Councillor Steve Radford
President of The Liberal Party
41 Sutton Street
Tuebrook
Liverpool
L13 7EG
0151 259 5935
07920090322
 
To Rt. Hon Hazel Blears MP
Secretary State for Communities and Local Government
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London SW1E 5DU
 
e mail to 2009elections@communities.gov.uk
 
Firstly may we thank the Secretary of State for Communities for consulting The Liberal Party over the proposal to combine Local and European Elections in 2009.
 
It is the robust view of The Liberal Party that there are considerable benefits reducing the numbers of times electors are expected to attend for voting in any reasonable period.

We have long held the view that there should be a democracy day whereby all elections are held on one day in any calendar year.

However if we are to combine elections on one "Democracy Day" there is a real danger that the local aspect" of the elections is unduly influenced by national political considerations, the impact being exaggerated by the first past post voting system. 
 
Therefore we would only support this change as part of a more fundamental reform to energise local democracy.
This should include:
 
Consideration should be made for this to be a National (Bank) holiday
 
The Government should consider facilitating a public information booklet, whereby each and every candidate/party contesting that electoral area is able to make one modest election address in one booklet. This to be paid for and distributed as a booklet to each household from public funds
 
Local Councils should be able to vary the electoral systems to enable voting to take place by the Single Transferable Vote,
this would ensure there are no safe seats on any council and every vote has equal value wherever the resident lives.
 
We believe if councils were allowed to be elect by STV many would switch from annual elections to a four year cycle.
This option should at least be given to all councils operating the current multi member 3 ward system.

 In the longer term ,it would allow more stability for wards whereby the numbers of councillors for the same ward could be increased or decreased to reflect population changes, rather than redrawing ward borders cutting across historic communities.

Again this would reduce the number of times electors are expected to vote whilst retaining a degree of stability that the current common annual local election system provides.
 
 Lastly we have found the party list system used in the European Elections alienates many voters.

We would urge you to change this system to STV with the option to reduce the size of regions to areas more meaningful to the electorate.
 
We would oppose the combination of Local and European Elections, as it would have an unhealthy influence of national political issues blurring the local elections, unless it was part of a radical democratic reform of local government
including allowing communities to opt for STV.
 
We strongly urge you to broaden the remit of your consultation to include alternatives strategies.
 
Cllr Steve Radford
President of The Liberal Party