UK general election, May 2015

David Cameron got the question wrong in both the 2011 FPP v AV and the Scottish referendums; "careless," as Oscar Wilde would say.  In all probability, he will soon rue the day he decided the question on the electoral system would be "FPP or AV?"  (i.e., his 1st preference or his 2nd?)  After the May general election, there will almost certainly be a hung parliament; so should there be (a minority administration), a majoriy 2- or 3-party coalition, a grand coalition, or, as in Switzerland, an all-party coalition?  

But why majority rule?  Because decisions are taken by majority vote?  If so, then again, why?  It is, after all, the most inaccurate measure of collective opinion ever invented.  Hence this article on openDemocracy:

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/peter-emerson/2015-general-election-in-britain-free-and-fair

2015-1: Hong Kong 香港 2nd consultation

This submission to the 2nd consultation was made on 12.1.2015.  And here's the 1st one.

2014-14: Preferendum preferably (Village)

Ireland. Yet again, abortion is on the agenda.  Another referendum? Or a preferendum?  The article is in Village magazine, Oct. 2014: http://www.villagemagazine.ie/index.php/page/2/ 

See also 2014-13, for a Village article on China.

2014-13: China/Taiwan 2014 lecture tour

 A Dec. 2014 article on China is in Village magazine, [see above].

With lectures from 2013 shown in bold, the 2014 China lecture tour included:

13th Oct  Lánzhōu North-West Normal University (see photo)

21st Oct  Xúzhōu Zhōngguó kuàngyè University (2 lectures)

23rd Oct  Tiānjīn Nánkāi University (see 'Practical Examples' in right-hand menu)

6th Nov    Táiběi, National Taiwan University

3rd Dec    Nánjīng University

9th Dec    Xúzhōu University again (see 'Practical Examples')

15-25th Dec  Běijīng International Studies University (12 lectures)

29th Dec  Zūnyì University

有也两个网址：  http://zfxy.nankai.edu.cn/newsview/anounce/7240

和  http://finance.sina.com.cn/hy/20131227/101617772165.shtml

(See also 2014-11 and 2013-13/11/9.)

2014-12: Scots' referendum + 6-option survey

And the winner was... devo-max.  It wasn't on the ballot paper; it got just a handfull of spoilt votes; but it won! The director's observation report to the Electoral Commission is attached.  In its post-referendum report, the EC ignored our observations, so we published a further comment on 21.12.2014.

The deBorda report of the 6-option survey we commissioned is here, while the joint deBorda/TNS report is here.  In addition, this comment was published in The Guardian on 10.9.2014, and two days later, an edited version of this letter - they removed the 'ads' - was in The Irish Times. 

(See also 2014-12, 2013-15, 2012-13/10/1 and 2011-1.)