Thread by @Andrewwood17

Leader or Mayor?
I wrote a 5 page summary of the key issues in the governance referendum
I have not decided which way to vote myself so I wrote the guide to help myself think through the issues & choices
I dislike both options & especially the method by which
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the choice was made and I fear it will not solve any of the underlying problems in Tower Hamlets, why we continue to underperform on a range of issues
But there is little practical difference between systems except for how elected
Both strong leader models
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But one of the key issues are the two different voting systems used;
Electing Mayors - supplementary vote or 2nd preferences included which gives outsiders more of a chance
Electing Councillors - first past the post - which is why Labour with 46% of vote = 93% of Councillors!
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Some suggested FAQ's
What else should I add to this?
The full file is here
cllrandrewwood.com/news
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Some key dates and contact information
Polling cards are being delivered now (I have two of them)
But if you do not get yours you can register to vote online here by the 19th April
gov.uk/register-to-vo…
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More controversially I added a 6th page with a suggestion as to what to do if you do not like the choices or the method by which these final two options were picked
Which is to write at the very bottom of the ballot a
message, what the Americans call a Write-In as to your
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preferred option, for me that was the Committee system (which is what Newham Labour have picked as well)
As long as anything you write is clearly separate from your choice marked by a clear X, that means your ballot paper will still be counted as a valid vote
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It has no practical impact but can be used to send a message
Given that we were not allowed to do this process properly via a public debate in advance I see no other way in the next 10 years (when we can next have a referendum) to register what we think
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