I doubt we'll see a more representational system, because neither Labour or the Conservatives are short-sighted enough to remove the bear trap the liberals walked into over a century ago - especially now people have remembered there's anyone besides Vince Cable in the party. It's massively against both parties' long term interests to do so, for obvious reasons.
The only way it could happen, I think, is if the Liberals receive the largest portion of the vote (a strong talking point/mandate, for what they want to do) and everyone starts caring about the first past the post system enormously. It could happen, I suppose, seeing as everyone started spontaneously caring about lobbyists a while back, but it seems unlikely it'll be enough to force change.
It's a shame, because a first past the post system works especially poorly with whips as strong as we presently have.
(Rereading what you said I realise you didn't actually say anything about changing the electoral system and I'm projecting massively, but I'm going to leave this up anyway).
Quote:
The big difference this time is that thanks to Rupert (SKY/FOX/The Sun) has forced a US-Style Leaders debate, forcing the focus away from party policy or local representatives and purely onto personality.
It's more than personality. Clegg knows how to field questions (remembers names etc) and debate publicly, both learnable skills. Aside from that, I'd say the debates have done much more than shift focus to personality, firstly because personal attacks on the PM candidates have been a massive part of the election already, and secondly because it's done more than that. For a long time, the only publicity the lib dems have had is people ridiculing them for not having any publicity (or power), the debate changes this by putting Clegg on par with the other two party leaders. Additionally, it gives a platform for debate undisturbed by the constant warbling and heckling of the demented masses of Parliament - and, furthermore, one which most people actually pay attention to.
I think Clegg's scored points through his ability to debate and throw the myriad hypocrisies of both major parties (on, for example, promising to enact a piece of legislation they had both blocked less than a week earlier) into relief. Which is not to say Clegg's ability to look incredibly earnest isn't doing him a lot of good, it's just not the end and be all you seem to be making it out to be.
Edited, Apr 28th 2010 11:55pm by Kavekk