Having swept to power in 1997 with a wave of euphoria after what some people would call 18 years of Tory misrule, the then Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair set up the Jenkins Commission to take a look at possible reform of Britain's voting system. When the commission delivered it's report in September 1998, the recommendation was for a proportional system known as Alternative Vote Plus (AV Plus).
AV Plus is similar to the type of Mixed Member Proportional system (MMP) I personally favour at present as an alternative to First Past The Post (FPTP). I have given a simple explanation on how this type of system works in my post on 5 July 2015.
Although Labour's 1997 general election manifesto did state a commitment to hold a referendum on the House of Commons voting system following a commission report, the pledge was never honoured. Instead, Blair's Labour opted to stick with the FPTP system, which went on to give Labour a second majority of above 160 in 2001.
Fast forward to today, and Mr Blair has come out to warn his party against electing Jeremy Corbyn as leader and lurching to the left. I do fully agree that such a move would make Labour unelectable, just as moves to the left have done so in the past.
As a centre-ground voter unattached to any party, the only motive I would possibly have to vote for a hard left-wing Labour Party would be tactical, in a hope that my vote would help to deliver a hung parliament to undermine the so called benefits of FPTP. I certainly would not be voting Labour in the hope of Britain electing a Corbyn majority government!
It is because Tony Blair consigned the Jenkins Report to the dustbin that Labour are now facing this predicament that Corbyn could win. It is true that had FPTP been replaced, Labour would have almost certainly been in coalition if subsequent elections had been held under a system of Proportional Representation.
I believe a coalition with another centre-ground or centre-left party (such as the Liberal Democrats) would have ensured that Labour would have not lost a great deal of economic credibility on the run up to the 2010 general election. I also believe the unwise rise in public borrowing would not have been sanctioned had Gordon Brown (Blair's successor) been running a coalition government.
Even if Labour had still left government following an election around 2010, I am pretty sure they would have been in better shape subsequently in opposition. A Proportional Representation system would anchor Labour into the centre-ground of British Politics. Putting it very simply, the need to work with other parties would see Labour contribute to policies which are more representative of the will of the people.
By sticking with FPTP, Tony Blair showed that he was more interested in self-service rather than public service. In other words, it was more important to look after the party's own interest than give people a fairer voting system. With the latest polling amongst Labour members showing that Mr Corbyn is leading the race to be Labour leader, I believe the turkeys have come home to roost for Mr Blair!
If Labour do ultimately reject Mr Corbyn, they do need to reflect on the lucky escape it would be. If Labour is serious about showing that they are looking to connect with the people, they do now need to think very seriously about adopting electoral reform. After all, a lack of fairness in voting is very much why there are many people out there who are disenfranchised with politics itself.
AV Plus is similar to the type of Mixed Member Proportional system (MMP) I personally favour at present as an alternative to First Past The Post (FPTP). I have given a simple explanation on how this type of system works in my post on 5 July 2015.
Although Labour's 1997 general election manifesto did state a commitment to hold a referendum on the House of Commons voting system following a commission report, the pledge was never honoured. Instead, Blair's Labour opted to stick with the FPTP system, which went on to give Labour a second majority of above 160 in 2001.
Fast forward to today, and Mr Blair has come out to warn his party against electing Jeremy Corbyn as leader and lurching to the left. I do fully agree that such a move would make Labour unelectable, just as moves to the left have done so in the past.
As a centre-ground voter unattached to any party, the only motive I would possibly have to vote for a hard left-wing Labour Party would be tactical, in a hope that my vote would help to deliver a hung parliament to undermine the so called benefits of FPTP. I certainly would not be voting Labour in the hope of Britain electing a Corbyn majority government!
It is because Tony Blair consigned the Jenkins Report to the dustbin that Labour are now facing this predicament that Corbyn could win. It is true that had FPTP been replaced, Labour would have almost certainly been in coalition if subsequent elections had been held under a system of Proportional Representation.
I believe a coalition with another centre-ground or centre-left party (such as the Liberal Democrats) would have ensured that Labour would have not lost a great deal of economic credibility on the run up to the 2010 general election. I also believe the unwise rise in public borrowing would not have been sanctioned had Gordon Brown (Blair's successor) been running a coalition government.
Even if Labour had still left government following an election around 2010, I am pretty sure they would have been in better shape subsequently in opposition. A Proportional Representation system would anchor Labour into the centre-ground of British Politics. Putting it very simply, the need to work with other parties would see Labour contribute to policies which are more representative of the will of the people.
By sticking with FPTP, Tony Blair showed that he was more interested in self-service rather than public service. In other words, it was more important to look after the party's own interest than give people a fairer voting system. With the latest polling amongst Labour members showing that Mr Corbyn is leading the race to be Labour leader, I believe the turkeys have come home to roost for Mr Blair!
If Labour do ultimately reject Mr Corbyn, they do need to reflect on the lucky escape it would be. If Labour is serious about showing that they are looking to connect with the people, they do now need to think very seriously about adopting electoral reform. After all, a lack of fairness in voting is very much why there are many people out there who are disenfranchised with politics itself.
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