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OXFORD: EOA Books, • 34 Cowley The Other Boks Bookmarks and High McConville's NOTTINGHAM: Mushroom Books, SOUTHAMPTON: October Books, Onel: Community Books, WalmWomen Against Apartheid PR Socialist Challenge should be congratulated for opening up its pages for a serious debate on the issue of proportional representation (PR). This topic is bound to be of importance for the labour movement in Britain in the 1980s. Unfortunately, Tariq All's personal contribution to this debate in last week's Socialist Challenge leaves a lot to be desired. Tarig ignores the two most In DOrLanE areuments against PR and produces oniv weak areuments in it. defence. In our pamphlet PR is undemocratic on at least two counts.* First, the introduction of PR in Britain is very mean monster constituencies 300,000 ог more electors In these circumstances it will be very difficult for the candidates and elected MPs to maintain close and informed AnKS the local communities.
Furthermore, it would be very difficult to ensure that an MP was held accountable to the local parorganisation and membership Power de-select CaEdidates would shift even away trON grassroots of the political parties to the regional and national offices full-time apparatchniks.
Second, the introduction of PR would mean permanent coalition government, the complexion of which may have no relationship the electorate. Tariq argue that the Labour and parties are in fact 'coalitions' between right and left in each party, and he mentions the Lib-Lab pact. he ignores, however, that these COCHLOES have a good chance of being removed at ine next election under the system of first-pastthe- post. Deals PR character ot government actual coalition LICS, are tormed ov deals behind closed doors at the after the CCHILIC. and without reference to the electorate. It is PUSSI have a Prime Minister as part of coalition government who's own party has a very small slice of the vote. (The ultra-right has disproportionate intluence in Israel PR for these reasons.) PR reduces the power of people to determine the sort of argument that they would like.
Let us turn to Tariq's own arguments. He says that we are "opportunist SOUSE OL OBAMANEROE the inct tin favour of wa the fact that Labour Tarig would turn to For our pamphlet he would find that we do mention that Labour in favour of PR from 1918 By Peter Hain and Geoff Hodgson to 1926 — or to be more accurate, the 'Alternative Vote' system which most ra advocates now oppos e since it is not fully pro portional.
Tariq blames the existence of SHared South Africa on their of first-past-theWe find this arguPost. ment somewhat unusual for someone who claims to be a Marxist. Apartheid is legacy of Dutch and Furthermore their system "first-past-the-post' is for whites only hardly the SOIL or electoral system that we would advocate!
In his interview, Taria makes much of the point that under a PR system you would have a Labour Party compelled to a mass base'. We find this LCOHICHE Presumably, Tariq has in mind a process in which a party is automatically inclined to create mass campaign and maintain majority supPort. Peter Hain speaks at Tribune rally. the existing system without specifying an alternative.
Finally, we agree entirely with Tariq that Labour government would Teast so hes cept off the least 50 per electorate (and a great deal of will and determination)
get through radical measures like unilateralism and public ownership of the top 25 companies. However, this COC -HOI mean should go along with PR That would be like converting Judaism just because we think that pork is bad for you To obtain majorit support, the Labour zeT should argue for mass policies in Labour's Proleading referendums on key issues such as the cruise missiles, industrial democracy, etc.
In this way a Labour government can build maPhoto: GM Cookson jority support for radical policies, and legitimate its actions. Such a scenario is more likey than one unde PR which. by its natur leads to fudge, mudge anc moderation and which is supported by the centre-right device marginalise the labour movement. * Proportional Misreprese Road, London WCIX 8DY 21 ine. pop.