Third Parties - and electoral reform

[Chris Burford]

At 09:27 06/08/00 -0500, you quoted:
>"I think we're getting more like the British system, where 15 to 20 percent
>of the votes, as a matter of course, are cast for other parties," Mr. Winger
>said.
>
>"We're seeing that happen all over the world," he said. "But America remains
>the anomaly. We have this huge, terrifically diverse country where most
>people are still just voting for two parties. But I think it's changing."

 From the August editorial of Red Pepper (UK): -

Chris Burford

London


>Fair electoral reform: over Blair's dead body
>
>  Keynote by Hilary Wainwright
>
>  There was always a sneaking doubt that New Labour could be decent enough to
>  create electoral space for would-be political competitors. Now it's 
> official. If there is
>  eventually a referendum on electoral reform the only alternative will, 
> most likely, be
>  the 'alternative vote'; a system that would only increase the power of 
> the executive
>  and rule out minority voices.
>
>  Naively, I had taken it for granted that New Labour's much vaunted 
> modernisation
>  would include reforming an electoral system rooted in the pre-modern 
> politics of Whig
>  and Tory cliques; and where Blair wavered, the Lib-Dems would insist. 
> But as is the
>  way of all reforms that are not pressed for by a powerful and vigilant 
> movement,
>  secret wheeling and dealing has put pluralism on ice.
>
>  On reflection, it is not surprising that an electoral system that would 
> extend people's
>  political choices - and in doing so face Labour with competitors on 
> their left as well as
>  the right, open up the framework of political debate, and strengthen 
> dissenting
>  voices within our culture - is the one constitutional reform that New 
> Labour has not
>  delivered.