Miliband comes out in favour of primaries
By politics.co.uk staff
The prospect of wide-spread open primaries dominating the British political landscape came one step closer to becoming a reality today after the system gained the support of the foreign secretary.
In an article for left-wing magazine Tribune, David Miliband praised the system – used in Greece and the United States – as a means to revitalise the political process.
Open primaries allow all voters – not just party members – to vote for who they believe should become candidate for the party in a particular area.
The system is particularly effective at democratising debate in areas where one party always wins – such as Chelsea in London for the Conservatives, or Massachusetts in the US for the Democrats.
But critics say the introduction of the system would strip parties of any remaining members they have, by taking away one of the few incentives to join.
The debate reared its head again this week when an open primary for the Conservatives in Totnes in Devon saw a surprisingly large turn-out.
GP Dr Sarah Wollaston was elected after 16,497 people voted.
