But the whole idea of vote swapping, voting tactically or voting with a nose peg is a disgrace and shouldn't be happening. What kind of electoral system do we have when a large part of the electorate finds itself obliged to choose between deeply unpalatable options - and as many as half threaten not to vote at all? No doubt after the election MPs will suffer a few days of remorse over the dangerous democratic deficit opening up between Westminster and the people. But as the old parliamentary steamroller grinds into action, it will all be forgotten again.
Or that is the danger, unless all those nose-pegging their way to the polls take action to demand proportional representation by the next election. It is by no means only anti-Blair Labour voters who are outraged by the puny choice on offer. Consider all the pro-European Tories or decent Tories who are disgusted by the Howard campaign. There will be many voting tactically for the Liberal Democrats who think little of Charles Kennedy. The angry mood suggests too many people will be going to the polls resentfully.
This must be the last election when that happens. Let's hear no more about "choice" in anything from any Labour ministers - let alone the prime minister - until they are prepared to offer choice over what matters most: the right to choose a party to vote for. Let's hear no more pious talk of ways to ignite community participation until we have a voting system that might restore enthusiasm in politics, with more parties closer to people's taste. Imagine a Labour party split between new and old Labour: it makes sense. The Tories would certainly split, too - and so probably would the Lib Dems. (In my borough the Lib Dems choose to rule with Tories, not Labour). Future government would combine a wider range of opinion, represented according to the strength we gave them.
Our electoral system is the reason why each campaign seems more reductionist and vacuous than the last. The parties are competing for an ever more cleverly identified few thousand wavering voters in marginal constituencies. Pollsters find these few vague voters hardly think about politics at all. They are difficult to engage even for a fleeting moment, don't read papers but may vote if taken by some slogan that catches their eye. Most people are not like that: even if party tribalism has weakened, these target voters tend to be exceptionally uninterested in politics. Yet everything depends on them.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1472812,00.htmlAnd a link to a site for reform, including a petition:
http://www.makemyvotecount.org.uk/home.html(And I can't help point out that on Question Time last night, Kennedy called for all decent politicians to recognise this).
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