I MUST thank Mhairi Black for bringing the proposed Electoral Integrity Bill to my attention. The bill is to be introduced before the summer and is designed to prevent electoral fraud by introducing a mandatory photo ID scheme in order to vote.
Most fair-minded people agree UK electoral reform is well overdue. It’s been talked about for decades but has consistently been sidelined by Westminster governments. We all realise parliamentary legislation time is limited so there is a need to prioritise. With this in mind, the Tories choose this innocuous piece of legislation as a priority for electoral reform! Unbelievable! What about the first-past-the-post system, what about privileged private members’ club the House of Lords, what about the practice of filibustering (Jacob Rees-Mogg is an expert!)?
READ MORE: Mhairi Black: Why Tories’ voter ID plans remind me of bedroom tax
There is so much needing to be changed to improve UK’s democracy, way ahead of a photo ID scheme. “Get on with your day job,” they say. If only they would!
However, there is the slightest glimmer of hope with regard proper electoral reform. The penny is beginning to drop within the Labour party. A coalition between Labour and pro-reform organisations aim to secure backing for electoral reform prior to Labour’s September conference. The call is to scrap the first-past-the-post system and replace it with a fairer voting system. A quarter of Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) have signed up for this.
So the pressure is now beginning, at least within the Labour party. Maybe I’m wrong, but my instinct tells me, the past tells me, that if real democratic change within the UK will happen, it will take decades to materialise, whereas in Scotland real change is tangible, it’s clearly within our grasp.
Let’s make it happen sooner than later. Vote for Scottish self-determination. Vote SNP and Green in May’s elections.
Robin MacLean
Fort Augustus
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel