The Xfactor

Fun and interesting article on the BBC magazine comparing Gordon Brown's proposed new voting system against the systems in use for X-factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Big Brother and I'm a celebrity.

Link to article

PM Speech on Change

There's an interesting post on the Vote for Change website noting a speech that Gordon Brown gave yesterday in which "the PM made clear his intention to start legislating for a referendum on electoral reform."

Its a long but interesting speech and outlines a commitment from Gordon Brown to major changes in a whole host of democratic areas, from the removal of hereditary peers to policies regarding expenses. Its also an interesting political plan and puts the pressure on the Conservatives to either come out and back the Governments plans or to put a spanner in the works and risk looking like the party trying to oppose change.

If these proposals are pushed forward and a referendum is actually put in place, then this year could be a major one for UK politics but, as many people have noted in their comments, its one thing to promote and promise major changes and referendums prior to a General Election. The proof will be in the pudding come the Summer.

Colour Chart

You walk into the voting booth to be met with an array of coloured cards like the paint isle in B+Q. Each party has its own colour range, including; Labour reds, Conservative blues, Lib Dem yellows, SNP oranges, Green greens and a delicate range of BNP whites.

You take a card from the rack for the party you wish to support and make a tear in a shade on that card. Each shade on the card represents someone within the party. The party whose colour card is most chosen gets to be in power and the person whose shade is most torn gets to be PM.

[Note the names shown on these example cards are the historic leaders of each party - not a suggested list of those competing for leadership.]