No matter what a party says before they are elected, as soon as they are in power then suddenly they are the ones with the most to lose from Proportional Representation, and nothing to gain. So they won’t do it.
Really illustrates that political parties (at least the two major ones) are only motivated by getting in power and staying in power - never mind what is actually good for the people they supposedly serve.
Labour and the Tories quite like things as they are; they get to run the show without having to work for the support of more than a small slice of the electorate and, at worst, they just need to switch chairs every few years. Anything other than FPTP would be political suicide for either of them.
Same for the Canadian Liberal and Conservative parties, as well the Democrats and Republicans in the US.
That said, I used to think more highly of PR until the right wing swept through Europe, but to be honest that has a lot to do with the left-wing parties ceding economic populism to the right because, frankly, they like being invited to posh parties and hobnobbing with the rich, as opposed to pounding the pavement trying to get working class votes. Plus, identity politics was kind of a feedback loop for them: they could look progressive while still staying on the side of the rich.
Same here in the UK.
No matter what a party says before they are elected, as soon as they are in power then suddenly they are the ones with the most to lose from Proportional Representation, and nothing to gain. So they won’t do it.
Really illustrates that political parties (at least the two major ones) are only motivated by getting in power and staying in power - never mind what is actually good for the people they supposedly serve.
The Lib Dems tried to get it through, but it wasn’t voted for.
Labour and the Tories quite like things as they are; they get to run the show without having to work for the support of more than a small slice of the electorate and, at worst, they just need to switch chairs every few years. Anything other than FPTP would be political suicide for either of them.
Same for the Canadian Liberal and Conservative parties, as well the Democrats and Republicans in the US.
That said, I used to think more highly of PR until the right wing swept through Europe, but to be honest that has a lot to do with the left-wing parties ceding economic populism to the right because, frankly, they like being invited to posh parties and hobnobbing with the rich, as opposed to pounding the pavement trying to get working class votes. Plus, identity politics was kind of a feedback loop for them: they could look progressive while still staying on the side of the rich.