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January 21, 2008
May Christmas be coming 340-odd days early?
"Lib Dems may be offered PR as part of power-sharing deal" is the title of a piece by Colin Brown in today's Independent ahead of the publication of the Government's review of electoral systems. While not actually expecting much at all from the review in terms of recommendations or even judgements on the way we elect MPs, there are hints, as in this article, that the Government may be prepared to say a little bit more than the nothing we had been led to believe. Political circumstances and the realities of a possible hung parliament perhaps are helping to move things along. We of course won't hold our breath - either waiting for publication or what is in it. But at least here is a positive start to the week:
Gordon Brown will extend an olive branch to the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg this week by setting out options for replacing the first-past-the-post voting with a fairer system for Westminster elections. The publication of a government paper on proportional representation by Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, is seen by senior cabinet ministers as a move to prepare Labour for power-sharing with the Liberal Democrats if there is a hung parliament after the next election.
Mr Straw will not set out any hard proposals, but it is known he favours the additional vote system, which he introduced for elections to the European Parliament when he was Home Secretary. "Jack would support AV, if there is a hung Parliament," said a senior minister. "It could be discussed after the next election."
Posted by malcolmclark on January 21, 2008
Comments
Do any other readers know what Colin Brown means by "the additional vote system"? Despite campaigning for electoral reform for over 40 years, I don't. I have not heard of it. Brown refers to proportional representation but uses the abbreviation "AV", which usually stands for "alternative vote", the non-proportionate version of STV when it is used in single-member constituencies. He refers to the system recommended by the Jenkins Commission, but that was alternative vote plus (AV+). He also states the "additional vote" was introduced for European elections whereas, in fact, the system for them is the regional list. There is an additional member - not "vote" - system (AMS), used for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and London Assemblies. I wonder what he means!
Posted by: Anthony Tuffin at January 21, 2008 08:55 PM
This is not the full article which appeared in the paper and gave more details of what PR system Jack Straw might favour but may create some confusion amongst readers not familiar with the different proposals for PR.
I have supported electoral reform for a long time and prefer the Single Transferable Vote system (STV) which was used last May in the Scottish Local Elections. In the case where there is only one person to elect, as in General Elections, STV is generally called AV (the "Alternative Vote) - not the "Additional Vote" system as suggested in your article. AV is preferred by Peter Hain and others but although it gives the voter more influence than First Past the Post, our current system, it is not a PR system.
The article goes on to describe a PR top-up system of the kind used in elections to the Greater London Authority which is normally called AMS - the Additional Member System. AMS creates two groups of elected members, those elected in constituencies and those elected from the lists of candidates preferred by the Parties. It, therefore, gives the individual voter less influence.
The only way of giving the voters more influence and achieving PR is by the use of STV. Readers can find more about it on http://stvaction.org.uk/
Unfortunately, your article leaves it unclear what Jack Straw prefers but that may become clearer when the Government's Review is published.
Posted by: Peter Morley at January 22, 2008 07:11 PM
Jack Straw was the Home Secretary responsible for the iniquitous closed list (not "additional vote") system that was foisted on us for Euro-elections. He will make the minimum concession to fairness in voting that he can get away with. Anthony Tuffin is right - power to elect should be in the hands of the electorate, not the party machines. That is why party politicians generally don't like it. It is up to us as electors to make it clear to Jack Straw that it is the man or woman that we want to vote for, not the colour of their rosette.
Posted by: Simon Gazeley at January 23, 2008 10:35 PM
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