The problems caused by one-party states are many, but the behaviour of Rotherham Labour in failing to their residents by running a council that was simply “not fit for purpose” shows one of the worst possible examples.

The lack of political challenge to Rotherham Labour resulted in a council that lacked even the basic ability to serve local people. It stands as one of the clearest examples of the failure of the current English council elections system.

Eric Pickles has already announced that Rotherham will move to all-up elections from 2016, but this is insufficient to change the underlying problem of the lack of political challenge in Rotherham.

I believe that places like Rotherham, badly served by first past the post, show the need for a change to English council elections, so that (like Scotland) they use the single transferable vote system.

By doing this, Rotherham and many other failing one party states would be provided with a real, representative council with a genuine mandate for reform, and a degree of democratic opposition and debate that would prevent the council backsliding into being unfit for purpose.

We Liberal Democrats should proclaim our solution for the problems of Rotherham as being a better, more representative democracy that can properly serve its residents needs.

* Alisdair Calder McGregor was Candidate for Calder Valley in 2015 and is a member of the party's Federal Policy Committee