See You at the End of Porvoo Bus Station: Introducing the Electoral Connection

Transcription

1 LECTURE 1 See You at the End of Porvoo Bus Station: Introducing the Electoral Connection I have met seven Finnish prime ministers: Johannes Virolainen, Mauno Koivisto, Harri Holkeri, Esko Aho, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Paavo Lipponen and Matti Vanhanen I have written every Finnish election report in the journal West European Politics since 1979 I have written academic articles on the Left Alliance, Social Democrats, Centre, Swedish People s Party, Christian Democrats and True Finns I thought I knew something about Finnish politics! Then in early autumn 2009 I visited Ithaca and Cornell University in up state New York There I was asked the Michael Marsh question HOW DO FINNS DO CONSTITUENCY SERVICE? 1. This opening lecture explores aspects of the connection between Parliaments, Parliamentarians and Citizens what is known in the literature as the electoral connection 2. How are parliaments connected to the people? a) Standing committee meetings may be open to the public (even in Westminster) b) Committees undertaking an investigation or inquiry may hold meetings outside parliament In March 2011 the Commons select committee on work and pensions visited Burnley to listen to the views of benefit claimants who have

2 been part of a pilot online test designed to distinguish those people who are able to work and those who are too sick to do so. In one case a person who undertook the test was said to have mild visual impairment. In fact he was registered blind. The committee chair Dame Anne Begg (Labour, Aberdeen South) This was the first time in nine years on the committee that MPs have ventured out and talked to real people. We should do this kind of thing more. Tears and tales of injustice as claimants give their verdict on new disability test The Guardian c) There may be specific committees to which citizens can express views/ propose legislative action (the Bundestag Petitions Committee) In 2011 Andrew Deans a 17 year old from Stonehaven submitted a petition to the Scottish Parliament s Petitions Committee calling for a ban on mosquito alarms a device which emits a high pitched noise that can only be heard by people under the age of 25 and is used to break up groups of youths outside shops. Deans represents West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine in the Scottish Youth Parliament and claims the device causes headaches, nausea and temporary deafness The proposed ban is opposed by the Scottish Grocers Federation and Scottish Retail Consortium Campaign to silence controversial device takes a step forward The Press and Journal d) Decisions may be referred to the people. For example, article 42 of the 1953 constitution in Denmark which allows one third of Folketing 2

3 members to refer to a popular referendum a proposal which has passed parliament and only needs the Royal Assent 3) How are parliamentarians connected to citizens? e) Mainly through the agency of a political party: most MPs are members of party f) In the electoral arena candidates are recruited by a political party and the selection process may be centralised or decentralised g) In the organisational arena MPs maintain links with their constituency party/local branch h) In the parliamentary arena MPs belong to a parliamentary party group (PPG) /caucus, which is a decision taking body with its own internal rules. 3. The parties in parliament and the parties in the country (party organisation) will seek in varying degrees to maintain an electoral connection between elections i) Kokoomus kuuntele ja keskustelee festive group surgery 12 December 2009 ii) Hei, Me Kaikki Puhutaan Maahanmuutosta Come on Everybody, Let s Talk about Immigration April iii) Kiinnostaako RKP? 4 February 2010 iv) Vihreät Toivotalkoot including Pertti Salolainen in Viikki on the joys of birdwatching and Ben Zyskowicz in Oulunkylä at a sale of children s toys and clothes 4. MPs are elected on a party ticket but they are also elected on a geographical/territorial basis In constituencies, districts, vaalipiirit etc 3

4 They are elected in districts of variable magnitude (size) In Finland m = 6 in Etelä Savo and m = 35 in Uusimaa In the US, UK, Canada and Australia m = 1, single member constituencies In Irish Republic m = 3/5 In Western Europe generally, including the Nordic countries parliamentarians are elected in multi member constituencies 5. The method of election the voting system will vary Majority electoral system in UK, US and Australia (Alternative Vote AV) Mixed system in Germany (two votes) PR closed list system in Norway, Belgium etc PR open list system in Finland, Sweden and Denmark In 1998 Sweden introduced a candidate vote option not requirement STV in Irish Republic: voters rank order candidates and vote for as many candidates as they like In February 2011 there were 202 independent candidates, over onethird of the total number of candidates In County Louth the businessman Fred Matthews election slogan read No More Bull... Nearly 8 per cent of the seats were won by Independents 6. Many political scientists view electoral systems as incentive structures that will have an effect on the legislative behaviour of MPs Some MPs will of course not seek re election Lasse Virén; Esko Juhani Tennilä; Petri Salo; Heikki A. Ollila; Kyösti Karjula (18 children and claiming he has a greater prospect of exerting influence outside than inside politics) In Ireland in MPs/166 decided not to seek re election 4

5 Other MPs will be re elected in safe seats David Cameron holds the safe seat of Witney in Oxfordshire, which also includes Woodstock At the 2010 general election Cameron won 58.8% of the vote (turnout 73.8%) and the next best was Dawn Barnes (Liberal Democrat) who managed only 19.4% However, in PR systems with a candidate vote as in STV Ireland or open list Finland and Brazil candidates will face competition not only from candidates or rival parties, but candidates for their own party too In open list PR systems co partisan rivalry is a fact of life Etelä Savo: Arto Seppälä (Mikkeli) 5633 (2003) 3955 (2007) Jouni Backman (Savonlinna) 5325 (2003) 5259 (2007) Varsinais Suomi Marjukka Karttunen 4377 (2003) 3918 (2007) twice divorced and a blond and into husband 3 7) The intra party competition associated with preferential voting systems, it is argued, creates the incentive to be tavattavissa vaalien välliläkin and to undertake constituency service Eero Heinäluoma tavattavissa vaalien välliläkin Hakaniemen markkinoilla sunnuntaina 1.11 klo Pirkko Ruohonen Lerner la 13.2.klo Porvoo linja autoaseman pääty Tavattavissa myös eduskunnassa 18.2 ja 8.4. Eero Heinäluoma Tervetuloa Eeron päivän sopalle tänään tiistaina klo Hakaniemeen Elannon kulmalle! 5

6 Tervetuloa tapaamaan kansanedustaja Hanna Leena Hemmingiä Hemmingin päivänä klo Hotelli Tapiola Gardenin ravintola Sevellaan. 30 ensimmäiselle lasillinen kuohuvaa 8) So the course studies the relationship between parliament, parliamentarians and citizens and the nature of the representation process. Among the central questions are: Who do MPs represent? How do they represent them? How much importance do they attach to representation compared with their other roles? 6