this important referendum is nearly upon us and i thought it would be interesting explore the views held by this BB

after much thought, i have decided to vote against AV
i do not dispute that "first past post the post" is in some ways unfair - so is life and golf! - but i am far from convinced that AV is intrinsically much better

i would rather have a stronger gov't of some hue than a weak coalition or mps (and parties) who have felt obliged to trim their sails to offend the least number and thus gain a few more secondary votes

full-blown PR is at least "fair", but even then, there are many examples of horribly weak and unstable gov'ts, which is also pretty disastrous

finally, and of greatest concern, i suspect the turnout for this referendum will be +/-35% at best and probably a lot lower in many parts of the country
it follows that those who vote in this will be (relative) "activists" for lack of a better word, for the run-of-the-mill voter will find the whole thing too complicated and voting on it all, too much of a fag
thus, if there is a change in our voting system, then it is very likely to have been pushed through by <20% of the electorate - is that fair?

The sad fact is that for all those who apply some intelligent thinking - and most of you qualify :-) before deciding we will be in the minority, outweighed by those who don't vote at all and those who vote without any real prior consideration.
FWIW I really can't decide which way to vote. AV does seem somewhat fairer but likely to make worse compromise government where policies and decisions are made for political reasons.

so long as you vote i don't mind especially which camp you decide upon, though i'ld infinitely prefer it were NO

Vote for AV and you get those awful bearded sandal-wearing unworldly supercilious sanctimonious Liberals selling themselves to the highest bidder - will almost certainly be those Labour turds in future.

What is so wrong with the person who gets the most votes winning? even if it is on a low percentage poll, which is the fault of apathetic people not the system If I was totally convinced that the person/party I was going to vote for hadn't a chance of winning then I'd vote tactically for the next best imo which would be sort of voting 1,2. Tomorrow I'll be voting 123 for council elections 123 for assembly elections and Y/N for AV I've a mound of leaflets and I still can't work out who's standing for what No doubt all will be revealed on the ballot papers.

Hi cynic

It is surely democratic for people to chose to vote or not, as well as chosing one way or another in the ballot box. I doubt many MPs or local councillors achieve over 50% of the electorate but I don't hear much noise about the non voters having chosen someone to represent them by default.

Only way Libs will ever get a taste of power again is if a YES vote wins. A NO vote will make it a straight fight Con v Lab in the future imo.

Libs will disappear after this referundum and will have no one else to blame but themselves after blowing their biggest chance of offering a real alternative they will ever get.

Speed they ditched their policies on education , defence , taxes etc will be second only to the speed that one by one they start opting out of the coalition to try to keep their seats once they lose this.

Cleggs days are numbered.

All imo but you heard it here first :-)




And I'm voting NO.

Libs appear (without a result being announced yet) as predicted are getting stuffed in Wales.

Cardiff Central at general election was Libs 51% , Lab 21% , Cons 14% , Others 14% and now the Libs are saying its too close to call in yesterdays Welsh Assembley election ... says it all.

Dil,

Did your vote count?

mine did! ... i voted NO and won .... fred and his gang have been given a good towelling by those who bothered to vote, but it will be interesting to watch how well the coalition now hangs together - or not as the case may be

Cynic,

Cast your mind back to how long it took for the serfs to get their vote or women's suffrage took.

Within 15years there will be a PR system for election of government.

But I am interested to see the outcome of Clegg and the Libs and how long this coalition takes to unravel.

But who in their right mind would shake hands with Cameron.

Don't you just love seeing those sanctimonious Liberals squirm :)

Yes my vote counted Fred as did everyone else's who voted , missing your point here.

with you there Land of the B

and you can add the sanctimonious bbc - predictions of 1,000 lost tory seats - and the reality is hundreds of gains

Dil.

Just baiting, now barbs this time.

====

In England, I must admit that I am a little surprised how well the tory vote held up, but not of the Libs crash.

I think the latter has dug its own grave, the former are still digging.

That may relate some of them back to their previous membership
base.

Also shows a social split in England.

===============

Wonder what the election results would have been if the election was held in 6-9months time.

================

I wonder when Lansley will be dumped.

Our local Liberals in Wimbledon are the most duplicitous of politicians, and that's saying something as lies and distortion are bred in most politicians, local and national.
They richly deserve to be annihilated.

Vince Cable has attacked the Lib Dems' Tory coalition partners as "ruthless, calculating and very tribal" but insisted the coalition would continue.

I hope he is right. It is what we need at the moment.

It would seems a very reasonable assessment.

Tribal often means primitive in search of leadership and obeying their "chronological" elders.

The present cabinet fits the bill nicely.

How old is Ashcroft?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1384465/Worse-Michael-Foot-Ed-Miliband-faces-calls-change-polls-promise-turns-nightmare.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Worse than Michael Foot! Ed Miliband faces calls for change after polls promise turns to nightmare

Ed Miliband is facing calls to change his strategy after a dismal result in the local elections that was worse than that achieved by Michael Foot.

Labour won more than 800 extra council seats but recorded its worst performance in Scotland for 80 years and failed to connect with key swing voters in Southern England.
Senior colleagues had said Mr Miliband needed to win 40 per cent of the votes, but he fell well short.

With four in ten votes counted, Labour had won just 37 per cent.
Several members of the Shadow Cabinet are now expected to tell the Labour leader he needs to craft a more coherent message on the economy and do more to take on the Tories if he is to have any chance of securing power.

His performance compared unfavourably with Mr Foot, who picked up 988 seats in 1981 when Margaret Thatchers government was making unpopular spending cuts similar to those introduced by David Cameron.

Mr Foot secured 41 per cent of the vote that year but was heavily defeated in the 1983 general election

I see the tories story in Scotland is one of success.

How many seats did Labour pick up overall.

I await with interest the next round especially after the the economy crashes and unemployment soars.

The world thinks Georgie boy's economy that they are flogging of Stirling.

How many crows make a false dawn.

Thank god for Alex and the SNP- full autonomy to Sctland will save England 24 bn a year in handouts.

Get that vote out Alex.