AV revisited.

Referendums throw together some unusual (and uncomfortable) political alliances. David Cameron has, in reality, been the spokesman for the anti-AV group, which includes a majority in his own party, and probably a majority in the Labour Party. While Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have jointly carried the banner for the Yes campaign.

On the Andrew Marr programme Cameron spoke passionately against AV. To my mind he made two telling points: first that the present system of First Past the Post allows the electorate to get rid of governments, rather than the politicians merely swopping chairs and forming another coalition. The second point he made was that under AV only some people get a second vote. Let me explain: under AV when the votes are counted, and if one candidate does not have 50% of the vote, then the votes of the lowest placed are redistributed according to their second preference. The lowest candidate could be BNP (for example) and therefore only those voters might decide the winner. The rest of the second preferences may not be counted.

AV leads to profoundly dishonest politics. Coalitions are by their nature often dishonest as the electors rarely get what they voted for! Note the current example and the damage this is doing to the Liberal Democrats. Clegg claims that AV will make politicians work harder for their votes. This is sheer nonsense as it will merely encourage politicians to be vague and non-committal for the fear of alienating second preference voters.

I still find it impossible to find anything positive in the Alternative Vote.