Report here: Labour plans election day poll on new ways of voting | Politics | The Observer seems to indicate a good thing; "plans are being considered to hold a referendum on general election ... called Alternative Vote (AV) ... Government insiders say the plan would be a step towards fairer voting. But they also believe it has tactical attractions as it would force Cameron, a staunch supporter of first-past-the-post, to campaign actively against change and for a 'no' vote ahead of an election. ... 'It has the added attraction that if the Tories won power and the answer in the referendum was 'yes', the first act of a Cameron government would be to do something he was fundamentally opposed to, or overturn the will of the people.'"
It's a shame that it would come about for 'mere' political embarrassment, but it could be a step in the right direction. Of course, Cameron could decide that the logic of his position on reform could push in a still more radical direction and he could outflank by saying 'yes' and press for multi-member constituencies ...
1 comment:
The article is uninformative about the proposal itself, and dwells mainly on its tactical advantages for Labout. If the article truly reflects Labour Party thinking, then they really are politically bankrupt, and deserve to lose, though whether Cameron deserves to win is another matter entirely.
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