Although it has come to something when the activities of 38 Degrees are described as "Leftist" in the sense that the Editor of The Spectator doubtless means (is the not unrelated campaign against European federalism or against Scottish independence "Rightist"?), Fraser Nelson makes some very important points. The situation will not change until, primarily, we have the vigorous contesting of every seat by every party on behalf of a candidate in every case capable of being that constituency's MP.
Nor until we each vote for one candidate, with the requisite number, never fewer than two, elected at the end, most obviously by dividing the country up into 100 constituencies, each electing six MPs by this means, so that at least two of a patiotic and socially conservative party with Tory roots, a patriotic and socially conservative party with Labour roots, and another party with Old Labour roots, would always be in government at any given time.
Nor until, in the course of each Parliament, as a matter of routine, each party submitted to a binding ballot of the whole constituency electorate its locally determined internal shortlist of two for Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, submitted to a binding ballot of the whole national electorate its nationally determined internal shortlist of two for Leader, and submitted to a ballot of the latter kind the 10 policies proposed by the most of its branches, including affiliated branches where applicable, with each voter entitled to vote for up to two, and with the top seven guaranteed inclusion in the subsequent General Election manifesto.
Nor until we legislate for a ballot line system, such that voters would be able to indicate that they were voting for a given candidate specifically as endorsed by a smaller party or other campaigning organisation, with the number of votes by ballot line recorded and published separately.
That would be a start, anyway.
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