Issue 13 of STV News suggests readers should ask the Lib Dem leader candidates for their views on STV.

We have just published an informative article by Councillor Andrew Burns of Edinburgh about Scotland's first experience of STV for local elections:

STV in local government - the Scottish example

So, according to the Queen's Speech today (written by the Government), the Government wants to give more power to the people! We'll believe that either when they reform the voting system so all our votes can be effective or when pigs fly. The Government regards 83 constituencies as key marginals. Those of us who live in any of the other 566 have no political power and will not have any until the voting system is reformed, but voting reform was missing from the Speech.

"Power to the people" but not a lot! Who is Prime Minister - Gordon Brown or Paul Daniels?

The Gould Report recommended today that Scottish Parliamentary and local elections should be held on different days in future because of the fiasco that took place in May when about 4% of the votes for the Parliament in Edinburgh were spoilt.

So long as different systems are used for the two elections and it was not within the review team’s terms of reference to recommend a change from that, holding the elections on different days is the only viable course, but it is not the best one. It would be far better to reduce voters' confusion by using the same system for both.

Our latest aid for STV campaigners is some suggested questions for Government Ministers. Do please have a look at http://www.stvaction.org.uk/questions_for_ministers and see whether you can use any of them or suggest more questions yourself.

Jim owns quite a pleasant, but not opulent, detached house near Chichester. He and his late wife bought it many years ago for £15,000. They bought, maintained and improved it out of taxed income and it is now worth about £400,000. Now in his seventies, Jim is worried about the amount of inheritance tax his daughter will have to pay on his death. He has always voted Labour or Liberal Democrat in the past but he has decided that, if the Conservative Party adopts John Redwood's proposal to abolish inheritance tax, he will vote Conservative next time.

The Government's recent Green Paper, The Governance of Britain, is for me personally a mixture of good and bad ideas, relevant and less relevant ideas. For STV Action, the mere eleven lines (on page 46 of the 63 pages) devoted to electoral reform are the most important. We are disappointed, but not surprised, that there is no commitment to reform.

STV can benefit voluntary organizations. It can also introduce people to STV and demonstrate its benefits. STV supporters, who are members of voluntary organizations, can work inside them to persuade them to adopt STV for their own elections. Please visit http://www.stvaction.org.uk/STVorgs for more details.

STV can benefit voluntary organizations. It can also introduce people to STV and demonstrate its benefits. STV supporters, who are members of voluntary organizations, can work inside them to persuade them to adopt STV for their own elections. Please visit http://www.stvaction.org.uk/STVorgs for more details.

Heartiest congratulations and warmest wishes for a very long and happy future together to our Web Master and Web Designer, John and Helen, who are getting married tomorrow. I am sure that all our users and supporters will join with me in wishing them everything they wish for themselves. We are very grateful to them for all the hard work they have put into this site at a time when they have also been busy planning their wedding.

Anthony.