An offer of AV

[ajva]

I think the LibDems should go for it. It's not PR, but it's a slight improvement, and a hell of a concession from the Tories. And what's more, if the LibDems turn it down, they'll be seen as putting their party interest first and possibly be punished for that later on.

What do you think?

Comments

[emarkienna.livejournal.com]

Indeed - similarly the choice to use PR systems for the London Assembly and Scottish Parliament. Or even things like changing the constituency boundaries.

(AV+ is also arguably much closer to what we have now than multiple member region systems - although I guess at the moment, it looks like any referendum will be for the latter, given that Lib Dems support STV.)

Having said that, I think that Labour offer a good deal - a bill for AV, and PR with a referendum.

[ajva.livejournal.com]

Labour do offer an excellent deal, but that's partly because they can't be certain of delivering it.

[djm4]

I think they can be pretty certain of not delivering it. It only takes a couple of other Labour MPs willing to follow Tom Harris (and there will be plenty), and it's dead.

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

The word “progressive” has now been redefined as “willing to barter away everything you campaigned for in return for the chance to be in government, albeit at the beck and call of a party that has spent its entire existence trying to wipe you off the political map”. Who knew?

LOL. OK, I officially love Tom Harris today. And frankly, his objections are good ones, though I disagree with his view that "this would happen every election under PR".