Why reform?

A better system for the future

To overcome these problems, the McIntosh Commission, set up by the Secretary of State for Scotland, recommended that a system of proportional representation should be used to elect councillors in Scotland. The Kerley Report for the Scottish Executive looked in detail at several voting systems and recommended the single transferable vote (STV) as the best for Scotland.

STV is used for a variety of public elections in Australia, Ireland and Northern Ireland. It has been used for local government elections in Northern Ireland since 1973. STV is also used in elections to many statutory bodies (e.g. General Medical Council), professional bodies (e.g. Institute of Chartered Accountants), companies (e.g. Allied Dunbar), trade unions (e.g. Association of Teachers and Lecturers) and many other organisations both large and small.