North Korea

I go there for 10 days on 6th June; a package tour, of course; news to follow, all being well, on my return.

Referendums in Taiwan and/or Hong Kong?

Just as the referendum in Scotland was (not the but) a cause of war in Ukraine, so too any talk of a binary ballot ‘here’ could be a provocation ‘there’ - in Xinjiang for example.

Brexit: a “meaningful” vote?

To be “meaningful” for everyone, any final ballot should be multi-optional and, at best, preferential. Something like:

a) Theresa May’s negotiated option;

b) EEA and Customs Union;

c) EU;

d) WTO.

Tianjin/Hong Kong/Taiwan Universities

Three lectures, all with the same message: two-option referendums are always divisive, often inaccurate, and sometimes a cause of war.

2018-5, Dr John Robb RIP

One of our patrons, John was only fantastic. He was one of the few in NI who managed to build friendships based on trust from both sides of Northern Ireland's sectarian divide. Indeed, it was he who was largely responsible for the success of the New Ireland Group, an NGO which he founded in 1982 and which so often managed to bring together persons from all walks of life, not least the politicians from across the dreadful divide.  

2018-4, Majority/Grand Coalitions

In 2016, Ireland and Spain both broke their national records for time spent by a newly elected parliament to form its government: 70 days and 303. In 2017, the Netherlands did the same, 225. And now, in 2018, Germany does it as well, 161 days. Surely the lesson of Weimar is that majority rule is no good. Better an all-party coalition. That is, never let extremist parties get more power than their proportional due, like the Nazis in 1933 Germany, the Jewish Home in 2015 Israel, the DUP in 2016 UK, and the FPÖ in 2017 Austria. Just give them, including AfD (Alternative für Deutschland), their fair share. And then work in consensus. Extremists will soon tire. Others, like Sinn Féin, may well soften up.

Here's the latest graph showing various parliaments and the days they've taken to form their governments.

2018-3 Ireland's Citizens' Assembly

They've done it: the Citizens voted in favour of multi-option voting! Albeit in a majority vote. Ah well, can't be perfect. And albeit with another majority vote - STV or FPTP? - to recommend how should such multi-option ballots should be analysed. This second question could have been multi-optional; but no; another dichotomy; this is probably a diehard reaction from the 'experts' to (try to) show that binary ballots are still acceptable.

To what extent the vote on multi-option voting was a result of our persuasion/persistence, we will probably never know. Never mind. It's happened. Here's our submission. See 2017-12, 2017-11 and 2016-14.

2018-2 A second EU referendum?

Complex questions should not be reduced to simplistic dichotomies.  Hence openDemocracy's latest: https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/peter-emerson/second-referendum-on-deal-with-eu-multi-option-poll  

See 2017-14.

2018-1 Elizabeth Meehan, RIP

Professor Emerita Elizabeth Meehan, RIP.

One of our first patrons, Elizabeth passed away on 6th January. She will be remembered not only as a stalwart supporter of all our 'de Borda' endeavours, but also as a lovely person and a very good friend.

2017-18 Green European Foundation

BEYOND MAJORITY RULE: https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/beyond-majority-rule-electoral-systems-for-inclusive-politics/