Dame Karen has, since October 2022, been Co-Chair of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, and has chaired its plenary sittings in Cavan, Belfast, St Helier and Co. Wicklow, alongside her Irish counterpart Brendan Smith TD. So it is not strictly accurate to say she has no experience of chairing debate: and I am sure you would not wish to make light of the challenges inherent in chairing that assembly.
Given your opposition to any change in the electoral system for the House of Commons, I was surprised and amused to learn that the three Deputy Speakers are elected by the Single Transferable Vote (i.e. Proportional Representation). This is the system which is used for local elections in Scotland, Assembly and local elections in Northern Ireland and parliamentary and local elections in the Republic of Ireland. There are additional restrictions (that one must be female and one male, and that two must come from the Opposition side of the House) which makes it virtually identical with the system used for the elections to the Irish Senate. It seems odd to use a proportional system for internal elections in a House which is elected by a notably disproportional system (in the new House the Labour party has 63% of the seats based on 34% of the votes) but that's British logic for you! On the numbers, given that there are now 231 Opposition members (excluding the 7 Sinn Féin members) of which 121 are Conservative and 72 Liberal Democrat, it seems to me that a Liberal Democrat candidate would have a good prospect of being elected, if they secured the support of all their party colleagues at least. Much would depend on how the other 38 Opposition members vote. With 412 members, the Labour Party has far more votes than they require to elect one Deputy Speaker, which is all they can elect. The quota will be 161 [(643/4) rounded up to next whole number] so they will have 251 spare votes and their lower preferences can determine which Opposition candidates are elected, should they choose to exercise them.
My point was that, if proportionality is regarded as desirable for internal elections in the House, logically the same should apply to the election of the whole House. Your argument that "FPTP wouldn't work" ignores the fact that three member wards in local elections in England & Wales are filled by a form of FPTP i.e. everyone has three votes and the three with the most votes are deemed elected!
Dame Karen has, since October 2022, been Co-Chair of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, and has chaired its plenary sittings in Cavan, Belfast, St Helier and Co. Wicklow, alongside her Irish counterpart Brendan Smith TD. So it is not strictly accurate to say she has no experience of chairing debate: and I am sure you would not wish to make light of the challenges inherent in chairing that assembly.
A fair point, and a unique organisation. I shall amend accordingly, for BIPA is always in my heart.
Given your opposition to any change in the electoral system for the House of Commons, I was surprised and amused to learn that the three Deputy Speakers are elected by the Single Transferable Vote (i.e. Proportional Representation). This is the system which is used for local elections in Scotland, Assembly and local elections in Northern Ireland and parliamentary and local elections in the Republic of Ireland. There are additional restrictions (that one must be female and one male, and that two must come from the Opposition side of the House) which makes it virtually identical with the system used for the elections to the Irish Senate. It seems odd to use a proportional system for internal elections in a House which is elected by a notably disproportional system (in the new House the Labour party has 63% of the seats based on 34% of the votes) but that's British logic for you! On the numbers, given that there are now 231 Opposition members (excluding the 7 Sinn Féin members) of which 121 are Conservative and 72 Liberal Democrat, it seems to me that a Liberal Democrat candidate would have a good prospect of being elected, if they secured the support of all their party colleagues at least. Much would depend on how the other 38 Opposition members vote. With 412 members, the Labour Party has far more votes than they require to elect one Deputy Speaker, which is all they can elect. The quota will be 161 [(643/4) rounded up to next whole number] so they will have 251 spare votes and their lower preferences can determine which Opposition candidates are elected, should they choose to exercise them.
I didn’t choose the system, alas. I was there but they chose not to consult me. But they are electing three candidates, so FPTP wouldn’t work.
My point was that, if proportionality is regarded as desirable for internal elections in the House, logically the same should apply to the election of the whole House. Your argument that "FPTP wouldn't work" ignores the fact that three member wards in local elections in England & Wales are filled by a form of FPTP i.e. everyone has three votes and the three with the most votes are deemed elected!
I’d be quite happy with three votes and the top three being elected.