Av

[Arriba]

what do you lot make of it?
i aint got a clue how to vote as both sides seem to give the same reasons for picking for or against.Both point to the advantage bnp will get from it.
i think i want to vote no as our system is ok,but am not 100% sure

oh, and vote labour by the way.

[Ardiles]

Almost everyone you meet who says they will vote for AV says they would prefer full Proportional Representation, but that AV is the only alternative to FPTP that's on the table.  I'm in that camp myself.

There are powerful arguments for & against, which makes the whole issue a very grey area.  For me, the most persuasive point is that under FPTP, large tracts of the population (again, me included) have votes that count for nothing at all.  Where I live, the Tories would win even if they decided to put Gary Glitter up for election.  My vote, practically speaking, never gets heard or used...so I think I'll vote for AV because it gives people like me a voice again.

I know that this is just one argument among many, though.  Polls seem to indicate that the 'No' campaign is well ahead, so it seems we are stuck with the existing system for at least another generation.  Where the Lib Dems go from here, I have no idea.

[LucienSanchez]

I want proportional representation, and this is just a weak compromise by the coalition.

I know this isn't how politics is meant to work, but the people campaigning for AV, and all the constant blanket nagging i get from some acquaintances via Facebook updates and Tweets means i'll probably vote against it.

[flammableBen]

I'll vote yes, if only because I'm fed up of tory cunts telling me it's too complicated for types like me too understand. It's not. It's pretty fucking simple in fact.

[Nemo]

I'll vote yes because anything Cameron and John Reid are against must be a good idea. It'll make stuff all difference though.

[Bathtime]

As far as I can understand it is a Liberal proposal which the Tories have agreed to as part of the pact they had to make. The Liberals have shown that to be honest they are just not up to real government with the mps that are presently standing. Good in opposition but thats about it. Living in Bath which is a close call I dont AV would make any difference so its a BIG fat NO from me. Plus I dont think we really want a coalition government, which sounds like a good idea but in reality doesn`t suit us Brits.

[Highland Robin]

The AV proposal was a baby of the last Labour government, but taken up by the tories as a sop to the Lib Dems, who weakly said thanks a lot now we can really show what we are made of....which they are about to do, because the vote will be lost.
Personally, I agree with the principle, which is that anyone elected has (some) support from over 50% of the electorate, but proportional representation it ain't.  In the Scottish Elections tomorrow, we will have something like Prop. rep (the List system, and, whilst I don't particularly like the SNP, I think the Scottish Parliament has generally done pretty well out of it.

[Batch]

large tracts of the population (again, me included) have votes that count for nothing at all.  Where I live, the Tories would win even if they decided to put Gary Glitter up for election.

The London suberb of Paedotoryville?

The rest of your post was spot on. I'm still not decided on how to vote. I probably won't as doing so is not going to get us any closeer to PR.

Is it just me or given the importance of the vote has the AV message (pro and con arguments)  failed to be debated properly in public. I can imagine a sizeable % of the population not having a clue what it all means, I'm not much better myself!

[horlock07]

Interesting that I believe all three parties use a similar system to elect their leaders......

So the tories are essentially saying, we understand it but you plebs don't... nice.

Incidentally i know this has been everywhere but it should be on the TV, people might watch it and realise how simple the system is...

[ghanimah]

AV Referendum? Patronising bullshit - if there was a genuine attempt to reform the electoral system then all options would be on the table - AV, FPTP, PR, STV, AV+ etc. That we only have 2 options highlights that this is a referendum on their terms, which by logical conclusion means that nothing will change whichever system we choose.

Funny how this was a referendum no-one asked for (and was never promised at the election, a "miserable little compromise" Nick Clegg called it) yet this is the one we get. Conversely the referenda most promised by all parties over the last 20 years on; the euro, the Lisbon Treaty and the membership of the EU we don't get. The reason? We would give the 'wrong' answer; that should tell us everything on how much the AV option will actually change anything.

Me? I'm not voting.

[pauld]

I'm with ghanimah. It's just a shoddy compromise designed to stitch up Clegg and remove any genuine attempt at electoral reform for a generation by discrediting the whole topic.

Still not sure which way I'll vote, or whether I'll specify the other option as my second preference

[iffy]

At the moment, a government can stay in power for ten years at a throw (Thatcher/Major, Blair/Brown) on about 30-40% of the votes. If that feels wrong, then there's a case for reform.

The choice we've got is from a system that doesn't work anymore, to one that will work a bit better, because it will make more people's votes count and make governments more accountable and representative.

It's also saying that when offered the chance to change things - however small those changes might seem - then you'll do it.

If you vote no, or if you don't vote at all, then you are voting in favour of the status quo. No to AV is yes to FPTP. Yes to FPTP says you're happy with how things are.

[Nemo]

I like the Cat video.

[pauld]

I know this isn't how politics is meant to work, but the people campaigning for AV, and all the constant blanket nagging i get from some acquaintances via Facebook updates and Tweets means i'll probably vote against it.

Funnily enough I'm being pushed in the opposite direction by the blatant lies and scaremongering of the No camp who all seem to assume I'm an idiot. Actually, they may have a point

[@MacPhlea]

People have trouble putting one X in a box - asking them to put numbers in the order of preference is going to totally fuck up the ballot papers of 80% of the country

And the fact the cat beat the dog because some retards thought they would be a nice second choice has confirmed that it's a NO from me.

Life would be a lot simpler if it was just the Conservatives and Labour party, none of this wishy washy shite you get now a days, Red or Blue end of, none of this "I want to be different" crap and pretend that you can mix and match politics...