Murray: Single Transferable Vote is vital in defending democracy 

Speaking at the Liberal Democrat Party conference, Scottish Affairs spokesperson, Susan Murray MP called for a change in the current UK voting system to the single transferable vote.

Under a single transferable vote system, voters rank candidates in order of preference; if their first choice is already elected or eliminated, their vote transfers to their next choice.  It is argued that far fewer votes are wasted, and the make-up of those elected reflects how people actually voted, not just who topped the poll.

Speaking at the conference, Ms Murray said:

“Our democracy is under attack. From foreign states wishing to sow division and hatred, to billionaires buying politicians and potentially most worryingly of all, from apathy. Because, if nobody cares enough to take on the extreme fringes then they have already won.

“To protect our democracy from billionaire backed populists we need the single transferable vote. To protect our democracy from fringe extremists we need the single transferable vote. And to restore trust and a sense of purpose for voters we need the single transferable vote.’

Following her speech, Ms Murray said:

“We need a voting system where the electorate feels like their vote counts. When people become disenfranchised, they feel helpless, this opens the door to populism. Our democracy should be robust; it should be the most accurate representation of how people vote. I believe that the answer to this is a single transferable vote.”