Press release
2nd February 2010
Gordon Brown’s deathbed conversion to electoral reform will not resonate with the voters
Conservative Action for Electoral Reform (CAER) does not welcome the Government’s move towards electoral reform under the Alternative Vote system.
Gordon Brown, the most unpopular prime minister of modern times, dithers with electoral reform with a deathbed conversion. Desperate to cling to power he seeks back room deals with the LibDems by gerrymandering without giving voters a choice of voting systems.
The Conservatives have nothing to fear from electoral reform. With MEP Dan Hannan and Douglas Carswell MP promoting multi-member constituencies for more accountability, representation and end to ‘safe’ seats.
We also admire the STV system (the most proportionate system) in Ireland which makes their TDs campaign very hard for their votes. Our new Shadow Sir George Young, shadow leader of the house, favours STV for the Lords, along with William Hague and Ken Clark. The debate is being had. We should not be bounced into hasty reaction just because Labour might be having another leadership crisis.
., director of CAER said: “The public will not see this as correcting a broken system, most agree that the system is broken because of MPs’ expenses, lack of accountability and a Government that makes up legislation as it goes along rather than getting to grips with the real problems of a broken economy and a broken society.
“David Cameron’s proposals for a ten per cent reduction in MPs and more proportionate constituency boundaries has more resonance with the public. If we are to have electoral reform then the various voting methods should be put to the public and debated on their individual merits.
“The only reason that Labour is now proposing AV is because they see electoral advantage in it. This system can generate a less proportionate outcome than FPTP so Nick Clegg should think long and hard before agreeing to prop up a failing, desperate Government. Clegg should also consider whether they are abandoning their principle of supporting STV to get into bed with Labour. Let us have a proper debate on the different systems before putting it to the electorate”.
Notes for editors:
The voting system has held back Conservative progress outside rural England. This stands in stark contrast to the inroads made in devolved legislatures elected under the Additional Member System, and in Scottish local government elected under the Single Transferable Vote.
National Elections
At the last general election the Conservative Party polled 65,704 more votes than Labour in England, but ended up 92 seats behind. In Wales the Conservatives received more than a fifth of the votes (297,830 or 21.4%) in the 2005 General Election, and won just 3 seats. In Scotland we received 369,388 votes (15.8%) and a single seat See The Conservatives and the electoral system , (ERS 2005)
Devolved Elections
Without the proportional element from the Scottish Parliament vote Conservatives would have 4 rather than 17 MSPs (based on 2007 election). By the same principle we would have 5 rather than 8 AMs in the Welsh Assembly (2007 Election)
Local government in Scotland
The advent of PR in Scotland prompted Conservatives to put up nearly a full slate of candidates in the mainland, including candidates in many areas where they had never previously contested elections. The Conservatives were the party that saw the biggest expansion in its reach in 2007.
AV system:
· AV would allow voters could rank candidates in order preference. If their first choice were to be eliminated by not having sufficent support, their vote would pass to their second choice, and if necessary to third or subsequent choices.
· With AV, successful candidates would need the support of a majority of voters.
· AV would obviate the need for most forms of tactical voting.
· AV is not, however, a proportional system. In some elections it could even produce more distorted results than our present first-past-the-post system. AV would not guarantee a more representative parliament or one better able to hold the government to account.
Background:
§ The Jenkins Commission, established by the Labour Government in 1997, recommended that MPs be elected by ‘AV+’, a variant of AV that is modestly proportional and would avoid the distorted results that can result from the use of AV alone or first-past-the-post.
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Conservative Action for Electoral Reform
6 Chancel Street
London SE1 0UU |
