MPs back Gordon Brown's plan for referendum on voting system

Published on Tuesday 9 February 2010 22:01

A REFERENDUM on sweeping changes to Britain's electoral system took a step nearer reality last night when parliament voted in favour of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's plans to change the voting system at general elections.

Despite opposition from the Tories and some Labour MPs, the Commons voted 365 to 187 to ask the British public whether first-past-the-post should be scrapped in the biggest shake up of the electoral system in generations.

Three Labour rebels – Diane Abbott , Kelvin Hopkins and former minister Meg Munn – voted against the move.

The government also faced criticism from the SNP last night, for supporting a referendum on voting systems while rejecting holding a poll on Scotland's constitutional future.

SNP constitutional affairs spokesman Pete Wishart MP said: "The hypocrisy of London Labour to push for constitutional referendums in across the UK and in Wales while denying the people of Scotland their say is breathtaking. The time has come to face up to the verdict of the people."

The Prime Minister's proposal would give people the choice of adopting the Alternative Vote (AV) system, where candidates are ranked in order of preference.

Critics accused Mr Brown – who had previously been regarded as a staunch opponent of electoral reform – of a cynical bid to win the support of Lib Dem MPs in the event of a hung parliament.

There have also been complaints about the estimated 80 million cost of the plebiscite – which would have to take place by October next year.

The AV system allows voters to name second and third-preference candidates, and allows the redistribution of the votes for the candidate with the least support until one of them gets 50 per cent or more of the votes.

The plans were tabled by Justice Secretary Jack Straw as amendments to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill last night. He pointed out that the AV system was used in all the main party leadership elections.

Mr Straw told MPs that he supported AV because it would still give one party a majority and is not proportional representation.

He added that only a third of MPs had 50 per cent or more of the votes in their constituencies.

He went on: "We propose a referendum because we believe it is not for us to decide, but it is important the people should have that choice."

Conservative spokesman Dominic Grieve attacked the proposal, describing it as one which would have given Labour more seats at the last election than the current first past the post.

He said: "This system in fact skews the result into far greater unfairness than anything first-past-the-post can ever achieve."

There was opposition to the proposal from the Labour backbenches. Former minister and Glasgow South MP Tom Harris raised laughter as he asked Mr Straw: "Do you attribute the stainless reputation of Italian politicians to the fact that they have proportional representation?"

Central Ayrshire MP Brian Donohoe, vice-chairman of the First Past the Post Group in Westminster, highlighted the "confusion" and "chaos" that would be created by having different voting systems in Scotland.

The Liberal Democrats said they would support the proposal even though they want a more proportional means of voting.