We need reform, not gimmicks (From Lancashire Telegraph)

We need reform, not gimmicks

2:28pm Tuesday 9th February 2010

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THE government have suddenly got the hots about changing the voting system. I’m a Liberal Democrat. So I’m all excited, right?

Well no, actually. It’s 13 years since Labour came into power with a manifesto that promised a referendum on proportional represent-ation. So I can’t help being a tiny bit cynical when Gordon Brown comes up with something on the eve of an election which he is favourite to lose.

What is more, what he proposes – the Alternative Vote (AV) – is not a proportional system. In some elections (such as the New Labour landslide in 1997) it would have distorted the result for the two largest parties even more than the so-called First Past the Post.

AV means that you can put the candidates in order (voting 1-2-3 etc) instead of using an old-fashioned X. It will produce a better result in each constituency since the winner has to get at least half the votes that are counted. But it’s not fair voting.

What we need is not a last-ditch election gimmick or even a referendum on Mr Brown’s pet system. It’s an independent all-party commission to look at all the options and recommend the best. That could then be voted on.

I’ve no doubt that the best system is what’s called the Single Transferable Vote (STV) which is used for most elections in Northern Ireland and is now used successfully in council elections in Scotland.

It’s the British system of proportional representation which allows voters the most choice – they choose between candidates as well as parties. It keeps the local constituency link, in larger seats with perhaps up to five MPs.

This means that far more people have a local MP from their own party they can choose to go to for help.

As a footnote to my column last week, I was amused that Gordon Brown was this weekend attacking Lord Ashcroft’s rather opaque residential status.

It’s too late, Gordon. He’s given his money and he’s organised the Tories’ marginal seats operation.

You could have done something a couple of years ago and you refused (allegedly because various large Labour donors such as Lord Paul threatened to withdraw their money).

Anything you say now is just more hot air.

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