'I AM fighting . . . against the odds,' says Rother Valley Lib Dem

I wanted to highlight the fact that the voting system we currently have makes it extremely difficult for the Liberal Democrats (or any other party for that matter), to beat the incumbent Labour MP.

That does not mean that the Liberal Democrats are not making an effort in Rotherham borough, but unfortunately we lack the resources that the Labour Party has at its disposal, and this is reflected in our level of campaigning.

Our current voting system is so perverse, that it is quite possible that the Labour Party will come third in the polls in terms of actual votes and vote share, yet obtain the most parliamentary seats.

This voting system means that there are “safe seats” where both the Labour and Conservative parties can essentially choose the MP, rather than the voters, which hardly gives that MP an incentive to work hard for constituents.

In addition, people living in such constituencies feel that their vote doesn’t count if it is against the incumbent MP. This isn't fair, and the Liberal Democrats want to change this by introducing a fair voting system.

The Labour Party has failed Britain for 13 years and the Conservative Party has not convinced the electorate that they have the solutions to the country’s problems.

The Liberal Democrats are offering local people fairer taxes, better educational opportunities for all children, a green jobs revolution and the chance to clean up politics for good. That is surely worth voting for.

Wesley Paxton Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Rother Valley.

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