Commenting on BBC reports that the Government intends to put forward a referendum on the Alternative Vote for the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:
“If this is confirmed then it is a deathbed conversion to electoral reform from a party facing an historic defeat, which is why scepticism is warranted.
“The Alternative Vote is a small step in the right direction, but it is not a proportional system and it does not give voters real power over both the party and the person elected as MP.
“Only the Single Transferable Vote in multi-member seats would abolish MPs’ meal tickets for life, and we will fight to amend this proposal to give people a real choice for a more significant change.”
Frank Little, prospective candidate for Neath, added: "Blair went back on a promise to give the British people a choice of a new voting system. He ignored the recommendations in a report by Roy Jenkins, which he had commissioned. Now Brown is proposing a different, non-proportional, system. AV kept the unpopular Howard government in power in Australia for a term longer than it should have had. I note that current Neath Labour MP, Peter Hain, is a long-term fan of AV."
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David Cameron reminded us in the Commons today that Paddy Ashdown wrote in his published Diaries of Blair's excuse for not going ahead with PR: "Gordon won't wear it".
We can assume that Paddy was telling the truth. But was Blair?
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