Letter: Plot against PR?
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Patricia Graham (letter, 12 June) rightly points out that the system on which voting took place at the recent Euro-elections wasn't proportional representation, or anything remotely like it. She then asks when our politicians will "stop treating us like village idiots and allow us to exercise some subtlety and discrimination".
The answer, I am afraid, is never, if they can help it. The leaders of all three parties are perfectly aware that their ordinary voters, and even paid-up party members, are split from top to bottom on all important issues both of European and of domestic policies. The last thing they want is for voters to be able to choose representatives from their respective parties who have different views from the leaders' own. This would be possible with real PR, but not with the system which we have just been using.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments