You said it, Jenny!

Monday's post about new Labour regional MSP Jenny Marra alluded* that successful list candidates are in effect chosen by the hierarchy of the relevant party rather than the electorate. Normally voters are essentially selecting someone they've never heard of, unless of course it's a well known constituency candidate who's afforded a second bite at the cherry having been rejected in the more direct vote. (Alternatively, voters may think they're voting for Alex Salmond when in fact they're selecting someone who's effectively an unknown quantity!).

Thereafter successful list candidates are afforded the trappings of power that helps promote their own political career and perpetuate the party political oligarchy, such as 'free' publicity via the press and getting their coupon on the TV occasionally.

Thus, right on cue, the day after my post the Courier carried a prominent article about Ms Marra's proposal for a football academy in Dundee, replete with photae of her smiling dazzlingly**.

Personally I'd have been more interested in her views on last week's invasion of the city's streets by Śląsk Wrocław*** football fans, with several hundred effectively commandeering the streets and indulging in vandalism, violence and intimidation. And only four**** of them arrested. For example, doesn't this underline the totally misleading nature of the crime statistics, particularly when last week's policy of 'containment' effectively amounted to the normal nighttime economy law enforcement scenario writ large? And since the hefty bonuses awarded to senior police officers are largely based on those statistics, what are the implications for the public sector bonus culture and suchlike?

Onywey, back to the subject of list MSPs. The search for the Courier piece mentioned above also threw up an earlier article in which Ms Marra proferred her views on the alternative vote referendum, which would of course take place on the same day as she was elected as a regional MSP. On the proposed AV system she said:

Barely one in three MPs is supported by a majority of his or her voters. What's fair or democratic about that? [...]

Would it give more power to extremist parties? No. AV prevents extremist candidates slipping in by the back door with minority support. Winners need the goodwill of the majority. [...]

I would call it the best of both worlds because it maintains the very important link between the constituency and the MP. [...] That link holds politicians accountable and makes them focus and fight for local issues.

In an age where we demand politicians to work harder, care more, listen carefully and be worthy of our vote, making us fight for 50% of the vote seems a sensible and fair solution.

Which seems at least as good a criticism of the Holyrood list system as an argument for AV at Westminster!

* Thus it was something I meant to say but forgot about!

**Replaced in the online version by a picture of an, er, fitba.

***Lest anyone thinks they've got a bit of stoor on their computer screen, yes there are three funny letters in Śląsk Wrocław, the least obvious being a little stroke through the middle of the 'l' in Wrocław, which looks more like a slight screen blemish on this blog's Verdana typeface.

****Apologies to Tayside Police for Monday's suggestion that only three arrests had been made. This was based on earlier reports, but presumably someone else had been arrested afterwards, or they'd forgotten that they'd arrested a fourth person in the first place!