Sir: If the Conservative Party is concerned that fielding Conservative
candidates in Northern Ireland would 'split the unionist vote' the solution surely is to hold House of Commons elections on the same basis as other elections in that province, namely by single-transferable vote in multi-member constituencies. If the 17 MPs were elected in four constituencies the voters could express their preferences for parties and for candidates with complete assurance.
Such a change would also be in line with the avowed policy of the present Govern- ment of widening consumers' choice. Vo- ters are consumers of public policy: you pays yer taxes and you takes yer choice (or perhaps vice versa).
It will be objected that it would be anomalous for Northern Ireland's 17 MPs
to be elected by a different system from that for the 633 MPs elected in Great Britain. But in Northern Ireland the anomaly is that the first-past-the-post sys- tem is used only for Westminster elections. Local councillors are elected by STV, as are the three members of the European Parliament, whereas the 78 MEPs from the rest of the United Kingdom are elected in single-member constituencies. Historical- ly, moreover, the House of Commons is no stranger to more than one electoral system at the same time: it is only since 1950 that all its members have been elected in single-member constituences.
Roger Broad
43 Northumberland Place, London W2
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