My colleagues James Macintyre and Jon Bernstein have already blogged on the new report from the Electoral Reform Society, highlighting how the “election is already over in most of the country”, given the preponderance of so-called safe seats in our antiquated, disproportional and majoritarian first-past-the-post voting system.
But I thought I’d highlight how the Tories, the party campaigning on a slogan of “Time for a Change”, succeeded last night in blocking any meaningful and democratic change to our broken electoral and political system in the dying days of this discredited parliament.
In one of the first casualties of the so-called wash-up, the government was forced to abandon its proposal to introduce a referendum on the Alternative Vote system for electing MPs in October.
The Tories rejected a Labour compromise that would have introduced a sunset clause so the referendum would have to be triggered by an incoming government for the referendum to be activated.
The Tories, so keen to hold a referendum on European treaties, won’t allow the British public the opportunity to decide how to choose our elected representatives. So much for “devolving” power and “trusting” the citizens of this great nation.
Here is Willie Sullivan, head of the pro-plebiscite Vote for a Change campaign:
In Wash Up and armed with a veto not granted them by any voter, the Conservatives have killed reform of the voting system and reform of the House of Lords. Cameron’s message is clear. And it isn’t change.
It is ridiculous the government has backed down. But it’s a scandal that Conservatives have been so willing to sacrifice constitutional reform to further their own prejudices. This scorched-earth policy reveals a party that is simply too scared to leave the verdict on first-past-the-post to the British people.
Oppose political reform. Defend the status quo. Deny voters a vote. This is the modern Conservative Party, under the “modernising” David Cameron. And, to borrow a phrase from across the pond, this is not change we can believe in.
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