Politics Today

[DB9]

Just thought I'd check - here's what the BBC said in 2011

Labour leader Ed Miliband is supporting the Yes campaign for changing the electoral system, believing it is fairer than the current situation and good for democracy and accountability.

Other senior figures such as Alan Johnson also support AV, but the party as a whole is divided on the issue, with more than 100 Labour MPs saying they oppose such a change.

Several current shadow cabinet members, including John Healey and Caroline Flint, as well former ministers such as David Blunkett, Lord Prescott and Margaret Beckett, are actively campaigning against AV.

Gordon Brown offered the Lib Dems a referendum on voting reform as part of their own coalition negotiations after May's election.

The party flirted with voting reform as an issue before coming to power in 1997, asking the late Lord Jenkins to head a review into the subject.

But his conclusions in 1998 were largely ignored and critics say Labour only returned to the issue when the party looked set to leave power.

The last two sentences are telling. And the party's diehard refuseniks like Blunkett, Prescott and Straw still held sway against what was obviously a weak leader. Interesting that the loathsome Flint was on the wrong side of the debate - not in the least bit surprising!

Weak leader = Wrong Milliband voted in as leader. AV wasn't a winning way and Brown only wanted to use the LD just to stay in power, Just the same as Cameron used them to get power As for the LD selling their souls for power and thinking an AV vote would change things as to get into power on a more regular basis.

 

[lamrobhero]

In the 1980s I subscribed to a Labour Party magazine called "New Socialist" and very good it was to. I remember one edition where the front page was headlined "Ian Botham the last working class hero?"
In one edition it advocated Proportional Representation ... it was never seen again.

 

[elginCity]

It means that Jinx and Tavy will dismiss the programme as hopelessly biased and so not worth watching

They’d be right too.

Hopelessly biased rubbish from Johnson groupie Laura K, standing by her man. The Tavinx would have enjoyed it - a nice twist in the tale at the end when Laura suddenly switched tack and started hissing wildly at ‘beergate’ man - the real villain of the piece to be found at “a party event”. sic. A damehood should be in the post.

 

[Suzi & The Banned Cheese]

Jinx has a point. Such was Labour's loathing for the Lib Dems that they pretty much refused to campaign for a change in the system. A few years later Corbyn's loathing of the Tories meant that Labour barely campaigned against Brexit. One day the party might learn to raise its eyes from its navel when it comes to making common cause with others

The damage was already done prior to the referendum on AV, as has been pointed out on this thread it was a watered down version of Jenkins recommdations. The sceptic in me says that it was a deliberate ploy on the part of the Tories, to propose such a poor alternative. Any keen supporter of PR was left with an impossible dilemma, 1) vote for a poor version of AV, delaying any further changes to the voting system
2) vote to maintain the current FPTP, delaying any further changes to the voting system!!

 

[arthur]

The damage was already done prior to the referendum on AV, as has been pointed out on this thread it was a watered down version of Jenkins recommdations. The sceptic in me says that it was a deliberate ploy on the part of the Tories, to propose such a poor alternative. Any keen supporter of PR was left with an impossible dilemma, 1) vote for a poor version of AV, delaying any further changes to the voting system
2) vote to maintain the current FPTP, delaying any further changes to the voting system!!

Yes. Further proof that Clegg should never have agreed to it

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

The damage was already done prior to the referendum on AV, as has been pointed out on this thread it was a watered down version of Jenkins recommdations. The sceptic in me says that it was a deliberate ploy on the part of the Tories, to propose such a poor alternative. You can't blame Labour nor the public for not wanting to support a system that's barely any better than FPTP. Any keen supporter of PR was left with an impossible dilemma, 1) vote for a poor version of AV, delaying any further changes to the voting system

So why did the LD sign up to have AV ? They would have been better off keeping their powder dry on voting reform.

It was so confusing most of the public had no interest in it.

 

[arthur]

They’d be right too.

Hopelessly biased rubbish from Johnson groupie Laura K, standing by her man. The Tavinx would have enjoyed it - a nice twist in the tale at the end when Laura suddenly switched tack and started hissing wildly at ‘beergate’ man - the real villain of the piece to be found at “a party event”. sic. A damehood should be in the post.

Yes, absolutely. Her finest moment was accusing Starmer of being political. I rather thought that was his job...

 

[Suzi & The Banned Cheese]

So why did the LD sign up to have AV ? They would have been better off keeping their powder dry on voting reform.

It was so confusing most of the public had no interest in it.

That my friend is the question, its the biggest mistake the Liberals have made in the last 100 years of their existence, utter madness. They were niave in the extreme and one assumes completely manipulated by the Tories.

 

[Suzi & The Banned Cheese]

I am sick to the back teeth of people trying to explain away BJ's habit of telling lies. If he has a psychological tendency to live in some kind of alternative universe he should not be in charge of the country, full stop. He isn't some kind of political genius, he is the most blatant liar who has ever held the post of prime minister. He needs to be removed not praised like an ailing rockstar.

 

[tavyred]

They’d be right too.

Hopelessly biased rubbish from Johnson groupie Laura K, standing by her man. The Tavinx would have enjoyed it - a nice twist in the tale at the end when Laura suddenly switched tack and started hissing wildly at ‘beergate’ man - the real villain of the piece to be found at “a party event”. sic. A damehood should be in the post.

I spared myself the abject tedium of yet another expose of the wanton lawbreaking in the corridors of power Elgy, instead for the second night in a row I watched the national league playoffs, two cracking games and a much more productive use of my leisure time.