According to news reports the AV referendum debate is set to escalate as we move to within 48-hours of polling. Well, quite honestly something needed to happen because as lacklustre political issues go, this one arguably takes the cake.
Apparently Paul Boateng will call for Chris Huhne to resign because he has argued has expressed anger in recent days over the way the No lobby - a cross-party group which shares some financial backers with the Conservatives - has conducted its campaign. Well now, that’s going to happen, isn’t it. I mean, a minister who is a member of a party that hasn’t been in office of any kind since 1915 is naturally going to relinquish that power.
The “Yes” campaign have been little better. In a platform that will be shared by that great political luminary, Eddie Izzard and Lord Paddy Ashdown, they will claim that politicians with safe seats under the current First Past The Post system earn more money from second jobs and that reform would force MPs to spend more time working for their constituents.
How naïve do these people think we are? Do they truly believe what they are saying? Because if they do then I am very worried. The reality is far more likely that whichever system is adopted, it will little difference to the work output of many MPs. The facts of the matter are that many MPs, of all political persuasions, work very hard for their constituents and work long hours in the service of the people who voted them into office.
Of course there are exceptions and we regularly hear examples of how some of our elected representatives fail to attend Westminster regularly. Gordon Brown and David Miliband have been less than regular faces over the past few months, but I very much doubt AV would have forced them into the chamber. In fact, the evidence would indicate their majorities would be slightly larger under this mongrelised version of proportional representation so, using the “Yes” analysis they would be even less likely to turn up.
The hard reality is that the referendum has failed to engage the hearts and minds of voters. Like many activists I have been spending the last three weeks knocking on doors and many voters are not even aware a referendum is even taking place. With only two full days of campaigning left, both camps are desperate to engage with voters and get their supporters to the polling station.
Unfortunately, when the votes are finally cast and counted it is more than likely the poll will be less than 50% of the electorate – leaving it open for both sides to argue the conclusion is not a full representation of the people’s will.
Far from finally solving the problem of whether or not the UK will adopt AV, the referendum is likely to create more questions than answers.
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