Democracy was found wanting for 331,000 in our county

The common frustration that these groups have is that of Sussex’s 1.2 million voters, a mere 407,000 people or 33% of those entitled to vote, voted Conservative, yet 14 of the 16 MPs in Sussex are Conservative MPs.

This week the Electoral Reform Society is promoting its report that shows that the 2015 General Election was the most disproportionate election in history.

Had the votes in Sussex led to MPs in proportion to the votes cast, we would have elected three Labour MPs, two Lib Dem MPs, two UKIP MPs and one Green MP.

The Conservatives would still have dominated Sussex, but their eight MPs, while making them the largest single party, would only have reflected half the seats in Sussex, not the 14 they currently have.

Outside of Brighton and Hove there is not a single person who voted Labour, Green, UKIP or Lib Dem that can see any evidence for the way they cast their vote.

That is 331,000 people who have found democracy wanting.

Clearly the Government is not going to change the way in which the system works and listening to Margaret Beckett on Radio 4, she and colleagues in Labour apparently have no desire for change either. I have news for both political parties – many of us are far from happy.

Ian Chisnall is a community avtivist.

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