Party Political Broadcast: John Cleese on PR again

The Liberal Democrats first had John Cleese make a Party Political Broadcast extolling proportional representation in 1986. He did another one in 1987. The electorate refused to listen so he was brought on again in this broadcast transmitted on 3 September 1998.

[@insertclevername4123]

As an American, I don't understand what the fuss is all about. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with an election going to the party that got less vo...oh, wait....

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

First time I've ever seen "Major decisions will now be taken behind closed doors in smoke-filled rooms" used as a positive argument for PR, I'll give him that.

[@johnking5174]

Republic of Ireland have a version of PR, called the Single Transferable Vote system. Multi-seat constituencies with 158 members of the lower house elected in this way, by voting 1, 2, 3 ... Irish governments have nearly always had to work in coalitions. Minority governments are nothing new and they get on with it. The last election in 2016 has seen a Fine Gael led minority government backed by the main opposition party Fianna Fail who decided to abstain from votes and have a minority government for a few years for stability. So far it has done ok. UK can change, but won't, the political top brass will never allow it.

[@megazero952]

yes because that worked so well that if putin turns the gas valve close by another two inches eupre will start waring with each other for jerry cans.

[@megazero952]

also we had a coalition goverment with the tory under Camron and the LibDems under the other one. And I think we can both agree it was shit

[@RalfAnodin]

@@megazero952 Coalition don't work under FPTP. Under FPTP parties have to show that their adversaries are shite, so even when they rarely work in coalition they shoot at each other. When you get PR you have 10 parties so they cannot spend their time explaining the 9 other parties are shite, they must explain why they are good and they must show that they can work in coalition. Just go live in the Netherlands for a few years and you’ll quickly realise how Westminster is bullocks. Not saying they are great in Den Haag though, they’re still politicians.

[@megazero952]

@@RalfAnodin sorry, but while I did vote for Ukip and disliked how they only got one seat, I rather have that than either the government collapsing every one and a half months; we experienced that once already.
We do not want that consently or like the rest of europe all our partys becoming a uniparty where there is no distinction with them.
finally all this talk of discussion and compromise, screw that if the party I voted into power wins I want it to do what I voted it in for, not for the party that lost the election.
also, in the Netherlands, last I looked, I was seen one European nation moving to green energy and actually suing shell until 4 days ago when they finally realised that oil makes heat and it is going to be a very cold winter without it, just like what we did. So in the end same result but in the end more waste of paper for voting on 40+ parties to vote for the same stupid politicians.

[@RalfAnodin]

@@megazero952 Seriously what are the real reasons why you’re fighting like a wounded dog over FPTP?
You must know for sure that the “government collapsing every one and a half months” is bullocks, just look at Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland… why grapple to this nonsense I don't get it?
The idea that “all our partys becoming a uniparty”… I just don’t know what to say, chill man, you don’t have to go senseless.
At least the fact that you wanna screw compromise is honest. I can understand that you like it when one group gets all the power till the next elections, at least in principle.
Just the effect of it on the long term on our economy isn’t great. Plus more people are satisfied when it’s PR. Sure many still hate their politicians, but it’s for more valid reasons than “they don’t represent us.”

[@ITVWeatherFans]

Least this one gave me a wee chuckle lol.