Ignorance and prejudice in the Ministry of Justice

Stuart Weir (London, Democratic Audit): Anyone who wishes to comprehend the dark well of ignorance, prejudice and insularity at the core of this country's political culture need go no further than to read The Times's report on the review of electoral systems carried out by officials of the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, now part of the Ministry of Justice.  It is hard to be sure what the full document might say, since this is a report of a leak, but in essence these officials have warned that proportional elections to Parliament would de-stabilise British politics, introduce an era of minority governments and coalitions and bring our glorious tradition of  'effective' government to an end. So far as I can discern, they have been very selective in their assessment of proportional elections within the UK and even more so in their appraisal of PR elections abroad.  But what sticks in the craw, after Britain's experience of the policy disasters that litter the recent history of electoral duopoly, or dictatorship, culminating (so far) in the illegal and disastrous invasion of Iraq, is the idea that our disproportionate elections to Parliament deliver 'effective' government. Nick Herbert, the Conservative spokesman, apparently fears that Gordon Brown might yet water down the report, due to be published in December, and imperil the 'tried and trusted'  electoral system just to keep the Lib Dems on side should he need them - adding stupidity to ignorance, prejudice and insularity.