Jeremy Bentham who was born in February 1748 was the proponent of Utilitarianism the concept of 'The greatest Good for the greatest number of people' also known as the
' Greatest Happiness Principle'. The above representation of him with waxen face and body of straw is still displayed at University College London. On that College's one hundredth, and its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary the figure was taken into the College Council Meeting, where Bentham was recorded as ' being present but not voting.' Its circumstance being not dissimilar to the UK Electorate as a whole.

Some elected to the Wiltshire Unitary Authority in May 2009 have more probably than not become dispirited by the reality of Local Government, realising that the trials and tribulations of Councillorship have little to do with the idealism of candidature. One can not doubt that having ‘Councillor’ afore ones name has a certain ring to it, but candidates don’t stand for self aggrandizement, nor for the allowances receivable, nor in truth because of a burning desire
…..................... ‘to serve others and put something back into society‘……….. BR> Dilettantes apart, one suspects most who stand for election do so either in the possibly mistaken belief that each one of them would do a jolly sight better than the previous incumbent, or as is more likely, stand to espouse any number of local issues.

All too frequently a candidate stands either under the auspices of a National Political Party or his or her own recognisances, in a Division where he or she hasn’t the remotest chance of winning. Is so doing a matter of naiveté, or of dog in the manger iconoclasm ? It is wonderful that all have the opportunity to seek to become a Councillor or even an MP, but is not such wistful candidature indicative of a lack of sound judgment, why then would any vote for such persons? For too long our Electoral Process has held its Candidates, ' Hostages to Fate'. Whether a particular Candidate is successful or not, has little to do with his or her personal merit, but has everything to do with the vagaries of the System. If one introduces
……… ALTERNATIVE VOTING, things would be more equitable.

Our six year old Grandchild is entered for the On Line School's Maths Day today, so not to be outdone thought to compete. PLEASE FIND MY ENTRY BELOW:

Near on two years ago Wiltshire elected its new Unitary Authority. Some 143,195 of us cast our vote in a turnout that ranged seat to seat , from under thirty per cent. to over sixty per cent. Bentham might or might not have approved that the 45.9% majority which voted Conservative elected 62.3% of the Councillors (Two of that creation are no longer Councillors). The 32.1% who voted Liberal Democrat returned only 24.5% of the Council. The 7.4% who voted Independent returned 8.2% of it whilst 2.1% of the electorate chose to vote ineffectively
HOWEVER
THE 1.05% OF THE ELECTORATE WHO VOTED FOR THE DEVIZES GUARDIANS RETURNED 3.1% OF OUR COUNCILLORS. If one was to extrapolate backwards from that fact, surely the Conservatives should have returned not a mere 63 Councillors but twenty times that number. They were swindled at the Ballot box. I demand a recount!

Thirty Three Divisions of our Unitary Authority were won on a MINORITY vote. Whilst thirty nine of the seats were won on less than fifty per cent of the votes cast. therefore had we had an ALTERNATIVE VOTING SYSTEM , those thirty nine seats would have been subject to re-evaluation. Whilst seven of those are now held by The Liberal Democrats, three by the Devizes Guardians, two by Labour and two by Independents, twenty five were held by the Conservatives which may be why the Conservative Party doesn’t wish to bring in the ALTERNATIVE VOTE SYSTEM, but who could know the outcome of any re-calculation until one sees how the electorate chooses to cast its alternative votes.

OUR ELECTORAL PROCESS IS A BROKEN ABSURDITY THAT NEEDS FIXING , SO
…..PLEASE CONSIDER VOTING ' YES 'IN THE REFERENDUM THIS MAY..

- Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant Hapus. 1st March 2011.