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15,000 Halton
residents denied a vote
VOTERS in 3 Halton wards
will be "denied a vote" in next week's local elections, as the seats
are only being contested by one party, according to Darren Hughes,
Deputy Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society.
Residents of Appleton, Broadheath and Hale; home to nearly 15,000
people; will have "no say in who represents them on Halton Borough
Council, because our outdated electoral system gives no incentive
for other parties to campaign in 'safe' seats." said Will
Brett, from the Electoral
Reform, group in a press
release on 14 May 2014.
Darren Hughes, Deputy Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform
Society, said:- "The first principle of democracy is that you
get to choose who represents you. But for thousands of people in Halton, this fundamental democratic right is being denied.
Uncontested seats make a mockery of democracy. If a seat is
uncontested, democracy in that area effectively does not exist. The
Councillors 'elected' in Appleton, Broadheath and Hale will have no
proper mandate from the people as they will not have had to win a
single vote.
It's time to introduce a fairer voting system for local elections;
one which gives voters the chance to be represented by candidates
for whom they have actually voted. Local electoral reform would mean
there would be incentives for parties to field candidates wherever
they have a vote, no matter how small. And it would improve the
quality of local democracy, making Councils better scrutinised, more
transparent and therefore more effective.
Uncontested seats are a blight on our democracy. It's time to
consign them to the dustbin of history."
Uncontested seats around Britain in 2014?
Halton boasts 3 of the 5 uncontested wards in the country this year
(the other 2 are in Surrey and Oxfordshire). In other years, the
phenomenon of uncontested seats can be very much worse. Between 2011
and 2014 there have been 382 uncontested seats. That's over 2.5
million people denied a vote in their local elections.
In 2011 it was particularly bad. There were an astonishing 259
uncontested seats in the English local elections. That meant there
were nearly 1.7 million people effectively disenfranchised by the
existence of uncontested seats.
Why uncontested seats happen, and why they
are a bad thing?
The electoral system used for local elections in England and Wales
(First Past the Post) means there's little incentive for parties to
field candidates where they are unlikely to win. In some cases where FPTP makes the seat a foregone conclusion, no other parties bother
contesting it.
Uncontested seats are also a reflection of the dwindling memberships
of political parties. In the 1950s, 1 in 10 of us were party
members. Now it's more like 1 in 100. This is going hand in hand
with a general increase in disengagement from politics.
These trends
make it harder for parties to field candidates in every ward for
local elections, as they have fewer people coming forward for public
office.
If a seat is uncontested, voters are denied a choice about who gets
to represent them. Uncontested seats make a mockery of democracy.
They also mean that the Councillors 'elected' in these seats have no
proper mandate. And they make it more likely that a Council is
dominated by one party, leaving it susceptible to poor scrutiny and
therefore poor performance.
What can be done about it?
In the 2003 Scottish local elections there were 61 uncontested
seats. But after a fairer voting system was introduced in 2007 (i.e.
the Single Transferable Vote), these uncontested seats were
eliminated. Since then, in both the 2007 and 2012 Scottish local
elections, there has not been a single uncontested seat.
This is because a fairer local electoral system creates incentives
for parties to field candidates wherever they have even a fraction
of the vote. This in turn gives voters the chance to be represented
by candidates for whom they have actually voted, which for most
people is a huge improvement on the status quo.
For those
unfortunate enough to live in uncontested wards, of course, they
don't have any say at all. If a fairer local electoral system were
introduced in England and Wales, then we will see an end to this
blight on our democracy.
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New Parking
Arrangements at LJLA
Photograph with thanks to
LJLA
LIVERPOOL John Lennon
Airport (LJLA) will shortly be introducing new car parking
arrangements for those drivers visiting the Airport to either drop
off or pick up passengers. From 4 June 2014, drivers will have a
choice of facilities at LJLA, using either:-
► The Express Drop Off & Pick Up car park
closest to the terminal building with a minimum £2 charge for up to
20 minutes, or A new car park called:- "Drop Off 2" which will be free
to use for up to 20 minutes. This new car park will be located in 1
of the existing car parks, and is a 10 min walk from the passenger
terminal. These changes have been introduced in response to customer
feedback regarding the 5 minutes free parking period within the
Express Drop Off and Pick Up car park and to improve the traffic
flow and levels of safety. A new parking layout is to be introduced
and equipment will be installed that improves the ease of use for
drivers and provides improved weather protection for passengers. In
order to do this, it will be necessary to reduce the vehicle
capacity in this area and make this a chargeable facility to
restrict usage.
► The Express Drop Off and Pick Up car
park is now a better value product, giving customers a longer
waiting period. Previously 20 minutes would have cost drivers £4.00,
however this has now been reduced to £2.00, giving visitors more
time to go and wave off friends and family when they travel. Unlike
most other UK airports, Liverpool will continue to offer drivers the
opportunity to drop off and pick up passengers for no charge and has
increased the free parking period in the new "Drop Off 2"
car park from 5 minutes to 20 minutes. Short Stay Parking
arrangements remain unchanged with drivers wishing to park in excess
of 20 minutes recommended to use the Multi Storey Car Park, located
directly opposite the terminal building.
Robin Tudor, Head of PR for Liverpool John Lennon Airport
commented:- "We have been keen to maintain a free facility for
our customers, unlike most UK airports who no longer provide free
drop off and pick up areas. Having listened to feedback, our
solution improves the customer experience and provides passengers
with a choice of where to drop off and pick up at the Airport."
Liverpool John Lennon continues to be one of the cheapest airport
parking locations in the UK, with safe and secure parking on site as
highlighted in the 2013 Which? airport parking guide. Long stay
prices are available from £2.89 per day and can be booked on the
airport
website. Liverpool John Lennon
Airport advises all passengers to plan ahead and view all the
parking choices on its website before travelling.
£15,000 Runcorn
cash theft from sleeping passenger leads to witness appeal
 THE
British Transport Police (BTP) detectives have released the CCTV
image of a man they would like to speak to about the theft of a
large amount of cash. The money, a total of £15,000, was taken from
on board a Virgin Trains service from Liverpool Lime Street to
Runcorn. The incident happened at about 9am on Saturday, 1 March
2014, as the victim, a 45 year old man from Ellesmere Port,
travelled toward Stafford. DC Dominic Wilcox said:- "The man
had planned to travel to Stafford to purchase a car – and was
carrying the cash in a bag. The victim dozed off and as the train
arrived at Runcorn, a man grabbed the bag from the seat next to the
victim and quickly left the train." Enquiries conducted
following the incident have enabled detectives to isolate the image
of a man they believe has key information. DC Wilcox added:-
"We are convinced the man captured has vital information about the
incident and call on anyone who recognises him to come forward. We
would also like to hear from anyone with further information about
the theft." If you have any information about the incident, please
call British Transport Police on:- 0800 40 50 40 or ring
Crimestoppers, anonymously, on:- 0800 555 111. In all calls please
quote log:- PSUB/B6 of 9/5/14." |
