Fairer elections and the threat of Reform UK | Letters
George Monbiot captures the betrayal and despair felt by millions of Labour voters who thought they were voting for change at the last general election (How we can smash Britain’s two-party system for good at the next election, 27 May).Less than a year later they have found themselves with a government pursuing much the same cruel austerity policies as the Conservative one it replaced.And he’s right that Keir Starmer’s cynical descent into inflammatory Powellite rhetoric is a gift to Nigel Farage.Most voters want nothing to do with the politics of fear and division, but the UK’s antiquated and unrepresentative electoral system fails to reflect the wishes of the progressive left and centre-left majority.A hung parliament is now a very real possibility after the next election.
This would indeed be a huge opportunity to scrap the first-past-the-post system that has blighted British politics for so long.As two Green MPs who overturned massive majorities to win our seats, we know it’s possible for progressives to win against all the odds – and to change the electoral system, we will have to.The Green party has long championed electoral reform.As candidates for the party’s leadership, our aim is to be heading a much larger group of Green MPs in parliament, giving us the leverage and negotiating power to actually achieve such transformational change.Ellie Chowns MPGreen party, North HerefordshireAdrian Ramsay MPGreen party, Waveney Valley George Monbiot is right to challenge the shortcomings of our electoral system.
However, all electoral systems are flawed and in a democracy no individual decides what sort of government gets elected afterwards,Across Europe, where proportional representation prevails, the traditional parties of power are being replaced – not by a rainbow coalition of progressives, but by the seemingly inexorable rise of the hard right,In Scotland, the SNP-Green coalition broke down,In the UK, when the Liberal Democrats held the balance of power, they sided with the Conservatives in inflicting ideological austerity,When we had a referendum between engagement with Europe or isolation, the majority voted for the latter.
The failure of our mainstream parties is that they have lost the ability to engage with ordinary people,Politics is the difficult task of leading the agenda while responding to the hopes and fears of wider society and all the ambiguities and compromises that are needed to do so,The government’s shift in language from restraint to support for those most in need might be the beginning of something better – we can but hope,Warren BrownIlkley, West Yorkshire George Monbiot is spot-on in his analysis of the dysfunctions of our electoral system,One glaring danger he doesn’t mention, however, can be seen in the steep rise of the Reform UK vote.
We used to hear as one of the justifications of the current system that it prevented extreme parties from gaining a significant representation,Never mind that this revealed an arrogantly undemocratic mindset, the evidence now is that the distortions of the system may precipitate precisely the opposite outcome,Given the fragmentation of votes, it is entirely possible that, with fewer than 30% of the ballot, Reform could achieve an absolute majority in parliament at the next general election,That undemocratic disaster, quite apart from the other democratic imperatives George identifies, should be ringing alarm bells for urgent change,Stephen SmithGlasgow Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
French Open: Musetti beats Tiafoe; Swiatek sets up Sabalenka semi – as it happened
Tim Henman, who was disqualified himself at Wimbledon in 1995 when he hit a ball girl in the face, is discussing a moment during the match when Musetti kicked the ball and it flew at the line judge. Musetti would have been very unlucky to have been defaulted, it wasn’t intentional, but by the letter of the law he could have been. Instead he’s through to the semi-finals, where he’ll face the winner of tonight’s match between Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul. That’s it from me for today, but do join Bryan later for coverage of that match. Abientot!A classy interview from a classy competitor, who had just a bit too much clay-court craft, along with confidence in the crucial moments, to see off Tiafoe
Club rugby needs a radical fix – but is R360 breakaway league the cure to its ills? | Andy Bull
There is one passage in the sales pitch for R360, rugby union’s new breakaway league, on which everyone ought to be able to agree. “Clubs around the world are feeling the strain, and are being propped up by the international game,” the proposal goes, and it is true that there is not a single team in the Premiership making a profit, seven of the 10 owe more than they own. Worldwide, at least 12 professional sides have gone out of business in recent years. It is just a shame about the rest of it, which has more holes than Newcastle’s defence.R360 is brought to us by the team of Mike Tindall, Stuart Hooper, whose management career at Bath was one seven‑year lesson in the Peter Principle that organisations tend to promote people to the point of their incompetence, player agent Mark Spoors and John Loffhagen, who had a 13-month spell as the chief legal adviser for LIV golf
Rome’s taxi drivers outraged at claim they drive like F1’s Max Verstappen
Rome taxi drivers are in uproar at the suggestion they drive as badly as mad Max Verstappen, with some challenging Formula One drivers to navigate the traffic and potholes of the Italian capital as skilfully as they do.Verstappen, a four-time F1 champion, was issued with a penalty on Sunday after crashing into George Russell’s Mercedes in the Spanish Grand Prix.Responding to questions about the incident from an Italian journalist, Toto Wolff, the Mercedes F1 principal, said: “This is road rage, like the taxi drivers in Rome or Naples.”The journalist tried to defend his country’s drivers, saying: “We have improved a lot in Italy.” Wolff said: “There’s a lot of aggression in the centre of Rome and Naples, without rules
England to face Fiji, South Africa and Argentina in inaugural Nations Championship games
England are in line to begin their inaugural Nations Championship campaign in just over a year’s time by playing Fiji – potentially in Europe – as well as away matches against South Africa and Argentina, the Guardian understands.The 12-team competition, which will be held every two years and replaces traditional tours, will break new ground next year in the northern hemisphere summer and, while the fixture list is yet to be announced, the Guardian has learned that existing proposals put England in line to face the Springboks in South Africa for the first time since 2018. A return to Argentina – where Steve Borthwick’s side will play two Tests this summer – is also on the cards.As per tournament protocols, England’s proposed match with Fiji would take place in either South Africa or Argentina but it is understood the Pacific Islanders would want the fixture to take place in Europe, mostly likely France where a substantial portion of their squad is based. Should that materialise, it is expected that England would play Fiji first before travelling to South Africa and Argentina
Jack Draper must learn to play with a target on his back as Wimbledon looms | Tumaini Carayol
Alexander Bublik reacted to the most significant victory of his career by collapsing on to the Parisian soil with his arms aloft, his face transmitting joy and disbelief. Although his jubilation was an apt reaction after reaching his first grand slam quarter‑final, it also said much about his defeated opponent.Jack Draper’s rise over the past 12 months has been one of the most significant developments on the ATP Tour. As he has established himself as one of the best in the world and earned respect within the locker room, the target on his back has grown accordingly.Now ranked No 5, Draper is one of the elite opponents against whom others measure themselves
The Breakdown | The Premiership team of the 2024-25 season
Gloucester’s silky backs and Bath’s fearsome forwards feature heavily among our best players of the yearSantiago Carreras (Gloucester) Plenty of quality contenders – Sale’s Joe Carpenter, Northampton’s George Furbank and Bristol’s Rich Lane – and I was also tempted to hand Alex Goode a well-deserved retirement gift. But Carreras has been an absolute joy to watch and central to Gloucester’s attacking reinvention. For a snapshot check out the try he helped to start and then finished against Sale at Kingsholm in January. The prospect of him linking up with Finn Russell at Bath next season is mouthwatering.Tommy Freeman (Northampton) A season to remember for a fine player who continues to improve
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