LETTER: Genuine claim to a mandate

In the case of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner elections, Katy Bourne did have the most individual votes but only 42 per cent of the votes were cast for her – ie 58 per cent voted in effect against her.

However, after taking into account the second preference votes, she had a clear majority of 62 per cent of votes cast.

Now this is democracy and she can genuinely claim a mandate from the electorate.

Unfortunately, this cannot be said for Parliamentary elections. FPTP was fine when there were only two major parties but over the last 40 years or so, we have seen the growth of a number of political parties till we now have five, not counting the National Parties in Scotland and Wales affecting the ‘balance’.

We have also experienced divisive and controversial policies by in effect minority governments; certainly in terms of the electoral votes even if it did translate into a majority in the House of Commons.

Most governments in this era have usually gained only 35-40 per cent of the votes cast meaning 60-65 per cent of the voting electorate were against that government and its policies.

Nevertheless, these governments contrive to make the claim they have a mandate from the electorate!

This is not democracy; it is nothing less than the imposition by a minority of its own agenda, pet projects and policies against the wishes of the majority.

Sometimes, fortunately the groundswell is such that the government has to do a U-turn (the latest being turning all schools into academies to take them out of local authorities’ control, ie privatising education) but this action is only necessary because it is a minority government and it’s not having a true mandate from the people.

COLIN MARONEY

Highfield Gardens, Rustington

__

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.wscountytimes.co.uk

2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wscountytimes

3 Follow us on Twitter @wscountytimes

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

The County Times – always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.