Let’s be clear: AV may not be perfect, but it IS better and fairer than First Past the Post. Even the ‘No2AV’ campaign know that, which is why they’ve resorted to making things up rather than engaging in a debate about the pros and cons of the current system. They have resorted to scare tactics because they know they cannot win the argument otherwise, and we cannot allow them to succeed.
Many have tried to paint the referendum as a vote on Nick Clegg or on the performance of the Coalition Government but we all know that this referendum is bigger than any individual. It is bigger than any political party. It is bigger than the Coalition. This referendum is the first chance we have to change our rotten voting system and we cannot allow personal politics to get in the way, and I was delighted to see Ed Miliband make the same point in his speech last Wednesday.
This is about people. It is about making our democracy fairer, more representative and about handing power back to those we are elected to serve. It is about ensuring that when people go to the ballot box they feel that their vote is actually making a difference. It is about making sure that MPs know they can’t just rely on their core support election after election, but instead will have to reach out and work harder for their votes.
I was a student at Glasgow University when the first referendum on Scottish devolution took place in 1979. When it failed on a technicality, people insisted it was an issue that would never go away yet it was nearly 20 years before we had another opportunity to vote for change.
We must not let the same thing happen with the AV referendum – who knows how long we’ll have to wait for electoral reform if we don’t take this chance.
On May 5th we can achieve the most significant change to our political system since universal suffrage so, now, with the Liberal Democrat campaign for Fairer Votes underway, I’m urging you to get out there, get involved with the Yes Campaign and make sure that we don’t look back on 2011 as yet another missed opportunity.