Brown to give MPs chance to vote for ballot change

GORDON Brown was today expected to offer MPs a vote on a referendum to ditch the traditional first-past-the-post voting system for Westminster elections.

The Prime Minister is said to have secured agreement from senior ministers for a vote as early as next week on whether a referendum should be held after the General Election on a switch to the Alternative Vote system.

The AV system allows voters to number ballot candidates in their order of preference.