UK AV Referendum Poll

[YL]

-If AV passes that possibly means that (meaningfull) Electoral Reform will be off the agenda for a generation.

See, I think it's more that if AV loses it'll take any electoral reform off the agenda for a generation.  Which is why I'm intending to vote yes, although I'd prefer STV and I don't support the Coalition.

[minionofmidas]

See, and I think the whole point of holding this specific referendum is to take meaningful electoral reform off the agenda for a generation no matter what happens in the vote. It's a win-win for the Tories' Cameron wing.
And of course you don't even get to vote on the related stuff about less variation and a few fewer seats...

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yes, duh.

[afleitch]

See, and I think the whole point of holding this specific referendum is to take meaningful electoral reform off the agenda for a generation no matter what happens in the vote. It's a win-win for the Tories' Cameron wing.
And of course you don't even get to vote on the related stuff about less variation and a few fewer seats...

It's being sabotaged by all sides. The Labour lord's insertion of the 40% turnout rule has killed it already/

To resurrect an old saying from '79 "If you don't vote you are voting No'

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Presumably that gets overturned by the government majority in the Commons, though who knows with time constraints.

Still, the problem is that this is one of those things that no one actually wants. Neither coalition party actually likes AV, and while a promise for a referendum on it was in the Labour manifesto, it was randomly inserted because it was felt that something ought to be said about political reform (because of the expenses mess) rather than out of commitment.

Tellingly, the only people who care are the sort of people who not only read the Observer, but actually like it.

[minionofmidas]

See, and I think the whole point of holding this specific referendum is to take meaningful electoral reform off the agenda for a generation no matter what happens in the vote. It's a win-win for the Tories' Cameron wing.
And of course you don't even get to vote on the related stuff about less variation and a few fewer seats...

It's being sabotaged by all sides. The Labour lord's insertion of the 40% turnout rule has killed it already/

Well, if neither vote hurts the objectives of the eminently hateable government of the day , I can just vote my position on the issue at hand - whether I think AV is at least better than fptp. Which it is. So the conclusion to my argument above is actually to call for an aye vote.

The only people who care are the sort of people who not only read the Observer, but actually like it.

[You kip if you want to...]

Bit far, but I see wheat it's saying:

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

Bit far, but I see wheat it's saying:

Please tell me that's from b3ta.com.

[Iosif]

I don't particularly care.

Probably no.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Bit far, but I see wheat it's saying:

Worthless demagogy.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well, everything's gone through now. It was nice having a relatively civilised and relatively non-partisan procedure for drawing constituency boundaries and I think we're all eventually going to miss it, irrespective of party. Precedent set, era ended, regrettably.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Bit far, but I see wheat it's saying:

Please tell me that's from b3ta.com.

Apparently not.

[afleitch]

Well, everything's gone through now. It was nice having a relatively civilised and relatively non-partisan procedure for drawing constituency boundaries and I think we're all eventually going to miss it, irrespective of party. Precedent set, era ended, regrettably.

Thank goodness for devolution I get my 73 constituencies just as I like them

[Antonio the Sixth]

Well, everything's gone through now. It was nice having a relatively civilised and relatively non-partisan procedure for drawing constituency boundaries and I think we're all eventually going to miss it, irrespective of party. Precedent set, era ended, regrettably.

How will the new redrawing system work ?

Please, don't tell me it will become the government's business...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well, everything's gone through now. It was nice having a relatively civilised and relatively non-partisan procedure for drawing constituency boundaries and I think we're all eventually going to miss it, irrespective of party. Precedent set, era ended, regrettably.

How will the new redrawing system work ?

Please, don't tell me it will become the government's business...

Not directly, but the guidelines under which the commission will now work are highly political and there's also less chance for alternative proposals to get adopted.

So we're still better off than France for this kind of thing, but that's not saying a lot.

[Antonio the Sixth]

What kind of guidelines ?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

What kind of guidelines ?

I take it you've not been reading the other thread?

There's a lot, but the main thing is an extremely strict 5% quota on constituencies which has been enacted for no reason other than a belief within the Conservative Party that such a rule would be electorally beneficial to them.

[Antonio the Sixth]

To be precise I didn't even knew there was another thread.

And what is a quota exactly in this case ?

[Platypus]

I know this is exactly what I'm expected to say, but...

Hurry up and copy Australia's parliamentary and electoral systems, Britain. You'll like it, I promise.

[Franzl]

I know this is exactly what I'm expected to say, but...

Hurry up and copy Australia's parliamentary and electoral systems, Britain. You'll like it, I promise.

Apart from the mandatory voting nonsense, I agree it would be quite a good idea.

[afleitch]

I know this is exactly what I'm expected to say, but...

Hurry up and copy Australia's parliamentary and electoral systems, Britain. You'll like it, I promise.

A degree of federalisation wouldn't go a miss

[Serenity Now]

I've decided I'm going to mark 'Yes' with a 1 and 'No' with a 2.

[afleitch]

AV NOW? THEN STV NEVER. NO TO AV

[Serenity Now]

AV NOW? THEN STV NEVER. NO TO AV

Might put that too

[Smid]

I know this is exactly what I'm expected to say, but...

Hurry up and copy Australia's parliamentary and electoral systems, Britain. You'll like it, I promise.

I agree! I'm not overly fussed about whether or not you pick the compulsory voting, and I wouldn't object to you adopting Optional Preferential, but generally I think our system is pretty good.