Some light cast on the second jobs revelations

Posted by philconnor on July 03, 2009 | Comments (0)

At 1.00 a.m. on Wednesday 1st July, a covert team of electoral reformers from the Vote for a Change campaign projected an image onto the side of parliament.

For illumination have a look here

Excuse the terrible puns but the projection itself was a playful way of getting the message across. However, that message is one which needs to be broadcast clearly - the current voting system, which guarantees many MPs safe seats for life, allows them to become complacent and focus a great deal of their time away from the electorate and toward their own pursuits. This is a situation which can no longer be allowed to continue.

Sign up at www.voteforachange.co.uk to call for a referendum on a change of voting system. And come and make your voice heard at the Rally for a Change at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster at 6.30 on 9 July.

The director of Vote for a Change, Willie Sullivan, has an excellent Guardian article on second jobs here

Coach travel to Rally for a Change

Posted by malcolmclark on June 25, 2009 | Comments (1)

The following coaches have been organised already for the rally. As more people book for the rally, we may put on coaches from other destinations. Also, if you can get a group of a dozen or more people together from the same pick-up point, we may be able to arrange transport.

Suggested £5 donation to be collected on the bus.

To book, or for any travel enquiries, email mikael@voteforachange.co.uk

Leicester

Outbound journey: 116 St. Peters Road (Opposite Sara Estate) 14.30 to Westminster (Approx. 3hrs)

Return Journey: Westminster 21.15 to 116 St. Peters Road

Oxford:

Outbound Journey: Oxford Train Station 16:00 to Westminster (Max 2hr Journey)

Return Journey: Westminster 21:15 to Oxford Station.

Get your MP to sign Early Day Motion 1681

Posted by malcolmclark on June 24, 2009 | Comments (1)

John Grogan MP has tabled an early day motion, EDM 1681, that "calls for a for a referendum regarding a more proportional voting system for elections to the House of Commons."

Already over 40 MPs have signed, including a few MPs (like John Mann) who have never before gone public with their support.

For the full EDM wording and to see which MPs have signed see: http://tinyurl.com/ldu6oc

To increase the level of support for EDM 1681 please write to your MP and ask them to sign (if they are able to). If they have signed already say thank you. If by convention they are not allowed to sign it (e.g. government ministers), then please ask them to forward your views on to the party's constitutional affairs spokesperson.

You can write to your MP c/o the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or via the website http://www.theyworkforyou.com

Remember that:

(i) the present political moment offers a once in a life time opportunity to move towards a new kind of politics, and it is essential that voters get to decide how MPs are elected by means of a national referendum

(ii) The EDM can in theory be signed even by anti-reform MPs (Diane Abbott for instance has signed), and certainly by those in favour of AV. It is about the call for a referendum, not backing a specific PR system. So whatever their position, you should ask them to agree that the people not politicians should make the decision on how MPs are elected; and the MP would be free to argue their case for the status quo in such a referendum.

Good luck and let me know what success you have.