May 26th, 2005

Old Friend

I should have been in Brazil this weekend.....

I'd usually be here this weekend. Guess it's a good job I couldn't make it this year.

Hope everyone I know is alright though!

Flash Floods Smash Into Sao Paulo (BBC News Online; Thursday 26th May 2005)

I will say that drainage is definetly a problem in areas of Sao Paulo. There are certainly parts of the motorway you want to have your windows shut and a good internal air conditioner on...urrggg....
Old Friend

Make My Vote Count!

Just helping to spread the word. I've been a long-time advocate of PR in Parliament and the UK's Electoral process is long overdue for a change. I remember when Labour also supported this policy (oh yes, BEFORE they managed to get power themselves...:p)

"From The Independent's Campaign for Democracy:

Dear Mr Blair,

I believe that the result of this month's election, in which your government was elected with a 67-seat majority on 36% of the popular vote and with the support of 22% of the electorate, is a subversion of our democracy.

I call on you, in your final term as Prime Minister, to institute urgent reform of our voting system so that the British people are encouraged to believe that their votes count and that the result of a general election is more representative of their wishes.

---
Check out their petition."

Also check out http://www.makemyvotecount.org.uk
Old Friend

More figures for Voting Reform

By Charles Kennedy MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats: Dear Mr Blair: Come Clean Over Vote Reform (The Independent; Thursday 26th May 2005)

"Put simply, it took 26,877 voters to elect a Labour MP, 44,251 to elect a Conservative MP and 96,378 to elect a Liberal Democrat. Therefore, my purpose in writing is to urge you to revisit the overwhelming case for electoral reform.

When you were in opposition, you actively courted my predecessor Paddy Ashdown with promises about reform of the voting system and a switch to proportional representation. In government, you set up a commission under the late Roy Jenkins - then refused to implement its findings. You set up a Joint Consultative Committee, which continued until it became clear that there was to be no serious movement on the matter of fair votes. Prime Minister, you have failed the electorate over the issue of PR."