Vote reformers want to switch to STV

Published on Friday 18 May 2007 12:02

VOTING reform campaigners today seized on the chaos of the Holyrood election count to call for a change of system before the next Scottish Parliament poll.

The Electoral Reform Society said the local council elections, run under the Single Transferable Vote for the first time, produced far fewer spoiled ballot papers than the Scottish Parliament elections held at the same time.

The ERS published an initial analysis of the elections, showing an average spoilage rate of 1.98 per cent in council votes compared with 3.5 per cent for the Holyrood election, which uses a combination of first-past-the-post and a top-up list.

And the society backed moves by the Liberal Democrats to bring in STV for the next Scottish Parliament elections due in 2011.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Nicol Stephen tabled a Holyrood motion calling on the UK Government to introduce legislation for the change of system.

And Jo Swinson, the party's Scottish affairs spokeswoman at Westminster, tabled a Bill to amend the Scotland Act to allow for the use of STV for future Holyrood elections.

The Evening News revealed earlier this week that only 1.3 per cent of council votes were spoiled in Edinburgh, compared with 5.2 per cent of Holyrood constituency votes, and 3.1 per cent of Holyrood list votes.

Around 142,000 ballot papers were rejected in the Scottish Parliament elections.