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Labour’s make your mind up time on elections: “Let's play by Aussie Rules”

News Release from Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform

Peter Hain leads call for historic Labour compromise on electoral reform this side of next General Election

At an anxious time for Labour members, the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform (LCER) invites Labour members to thrash out the Party’s position on electoral reform on Tuesday.

Figures including former cabinet minister, Peter Hain, John Grogan MP, and The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire will join together to start the debate that could lead Labour to adopt the Alternative Vote.

Peter Hain has led the call for Alternative Vote since the publication of his book Proportional Misrepresentation in 1986. Kevin Maguire has coined the term “Let's play by Aussie Rules” to illustrate a consensus drift towards Alternative Vote at every level in the Labour Party.

The panel will be joined by Paul Smith, President of Australian Labor Party Abroad.

Electoral reform debates in the past have produced deep debates within the Labour Party. However at last year’s LCER meeting Cabinet Minister and former LCER Chair, John Denham, suggested that Alternative Vote for the Commons could be coupled with a proportional voting system for elected members of the replacement House of Lords.

LCER has recently consulted Labour reformers using a questionnaire and most of those who responded were willing to live with what we are now calling the Australian model, AV for the Commons, Single Transferable Vote for the Upper House/Senate. It could well be that a historic compromise has been reached between Labour’s First Past the Post and Proportional Representation supporters.

John Grogan, Chair of LCER, chairing the discussion says:

“The Prime Minister’s debate on the Constitution will provide an opportunity between now and the General Election to advance the case of electoral reform. It is crucial that LCER is at the centre of the debate regarding a reformed upper chamber, local government and what goes into the Manifesto on electoral reform.”

Meeting open to public.

Let’s Play by Aussie Rules: Electoral Reform without dividing the Labour Party

Tuesday 15 July, 6.30 - 7.30 pm in Committee Room 6, House of Commons.

Posted: 14/07/08

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