One vote per voter

The Additional Member System applying to elections to the Scottish Parliament is intended to deliver a parliament broadly reflective of political opinion in the country. This is a laudable aim.

It currently depends upon each elector having two votes – one for their constituency MSP (elected on a first past the post basis) and one for regional MSPS appointed from the political parties’ lists.

Any system that allow individuals two votes is prone to manipulation and, as has been the subject of some debate in recent days, two parties could collude to play the system, one focusing on the constituency vote and the other on the regional vote.

If this succeeded, it could result in a substantial majority for the two colluding parties achieved through the votes of a minority of electors. This is precisely the opposite of the original intent in adopting this electoral system.

The aim of electing a parliament reflective of the views of the electorate can surely be achieved on the basis of each elector having only a single vote.

Each constituency candidate stands as an individual but also represents a party (Independents could also stand as constituency candidates but not on the regional vote under this approach).

In this system each constituency candidate would be appointed as at present but with the additional members from the parties’ lists appointed based on the aggregate of the votes for the parties across the constituencies in the region.

This simple change would remove the distraction of tactical voting and prevent “gaming” the system.

GEORGE RENNIE Inverness