LIB DEMS CALL FOR FAIR VOTING SYSTEM

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 15th Jul 2005

Whalley Range Councillors John Grant and Joy Winder will call upon Manchester City Council to agree to lobby for Fair Votes for future Council and General Elections.

Currently, Labour have a comfortable majority nationally despite only polling 35% of the votes, and a majority locally whilst polling just 43%.

Cllr Grant said today,

"In the 80's and 90's the Tories won four times with a minority of the vote. Labour have won three times with a minority of the vote. "First Past the Post" gives one-party rule and makes policies such as the Poll Tax, Tuition Fees and War in Iraq more likely."

Ward colleague Joy Winder added,

"Many smaller parties, like the Tories and Greens, are under-represented in the Council Chamber. A proportional voting system would be better for democracy and allow more diversity in both the Commons and the Council Chamber."