Democracy triumphs in D’Hondt system

Sir, – In reply to Michael Foreman’s “reassuring” me, as he is a “committed unionist” (Letters, December 17), that he evidently would prefer proportional representation.

He never mentioned the mandate for the SNP/ Scottish Government, achieved through the unionist-designed, AMS amended D’Hondt system for the Scottish Parliament – designed by them to never have a majority result.

Furthermore, the 2011 referendum was concerned whether or not to replace the “first past the post” system with the “alternative vote” (AV) method, and was the first national referendum in the UK in the 21st Century.

The proposal to introduce AV was rejected by 67.9% of voters on a national turnout of only 42%.

It is to date the only UK-wide referendum to be held on an issue not related to the European Communities or the European Union, and is also the first to have been not merely consultative, it committed the government to give effect to its decision, which is why the Conservative and Unionist Party campaigned against it.

The alternative vote and the single transferable vote (STV) for the House of Commons were debated in parliament several times between 1917 and 1931, and came close to being adopted.

Both the Liberals and Labour at various times supported a change from non-transferable voting. In 1950, all constituencies became single-member and all votes non-transferable and, until 2010, Labour and Conservative parties always voted down proposals for moving away from this uniform FPTP voting system for the Commons.

Other voting systems were introduced for various other British elections. The House of Lords, the second largest unelected chamber in the world, after the Chinese National Assembly, has been promised to be reformed, or abolished, by various parties for over 100 years.

It may be worth noting that, along with Oxford and Cambridge and a good few London boroughs, Edinburgh Central and Glasgow

Kelvin, all voted Yes. Education, IQ and pro/ anti Europe do seem to be linked.

Perhaps, as a “committed unionist” Mr Foreman may consider that for 100 years, the unionist parties have either promised reform, or hindered it, or chosen to be silent on it.

Nicola Sturgeon, as first minister, has a mandate, through the amended D’Hondt system, so contrived by those parties of power as to purportedly never to so achieve.

That is democracy, despite the designed deficiencies, and no unionist can hide behind rhetoric, let alone wishful thinking.

Calum Duncan.

16 Burn Street, Dundee.