An advantage of proportional representation...

[Mich the Tester]

More than that, if you are in any way charismatic about an issue a few people care about then it's a one way ticket to the gravy!!!

Ah well, you see, I wouldn’t dream of milking the system for personal gain as I’m a public service minded chap who believes in serving the community for the best of everyone. Unless of course that gravy train gives me an all expenses paid apartment in Brussels, first class travel around Europe, meals in the best restaurants and a huge guaranteed pension.

[Churchill]

Mich, the phrase "here in Holland" says so much. There the political parties work alongside each other for the benefit of the country as a whole - that and the fact that they're probably stoned most of the time, man!

Here in the UK we're governed(milked) by a bunch of self-serving bastards whose only priority is to ensure that they remain in "power" for as long as possible.

[Moscow Mule]

More than that, if you are in any way charismatic about an issue a few people care about then it's a one way ticket to the gravy!!!

[Mich the Tester]

...is that a small group of eloquent people with a real issue to tackle can make a difference. Here in Holland, a little too late for the coming election, but better late than never, a freelance management trainer has started an initiative to set up a Freelancers’ Party. It started as a campaign group on issues that are important to freelancers in all sectors, like the EU version of IR35, the costly procedures for bidding for government work, the poor payment habits of the government and other regulations that get in the way of freelancers.

Now her idea has grown and she is forming a full blown political party, thanks to thousands of messages of support and donations from people who joined her campaigns. I have spoken with her several times and hope to play a role, probably at European elections level seeing as I’m not eligible for election to the NL parliament.

Just imagine this; there are nearly 1 million freelancers in Holland; that’s about 12.5% of the Dutch workforce. I imagine freelancers form a similar percentage of the British workforce. The difference here is that if this new initiative takes part in elections in the future it will get seats under the Dutch election system, and it won’t under the British system. Get seats in parliament and you’re in on the negotiations to form a coalition government. Maybe it’s a dream, but just think of sitting in a room with Cameron/Clegg or their successors, who desperately need your seats to get a majority and saying ‘one condition; end IR35.’

Yes, PR can let a small party hold the big ones to ransom, but if you’re that small party, just think what you can achieve.