This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/8066663.stm
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Minister calls for voting reform | Minister calls for voting reform |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Gordon Brown should hold a national referendum on electoral reform, the Health Secretary Alan Johnson has said. | Gordon Brown should hold a national referendum on electoral reform, the Health Secretary Alan Johnson has said. |
| Writing in the Times, he said Mr Brown should offer the public a "genuinely radical alternative" to the current system of first-past-the-post. | Writing in the Times, he said Mr Brown should offer the public a "genuinely radical alternative" to the current system of first-past-the-post. |
| A referendum on reform, including an element of proportional representation, could be held on the same day as the next general election, Mr Johnson said. | A referendum on reform, including an element of proportional representation, could be held on the same day as the next general election, Mr Johnson said. |
| The Electoral Reform Society said the idea was "a breath of fresh air". | The Electoral Reform Society said the idea was "a breath of fresh air". |
| Mr Johnson has been widely tipped as a potential successor to Mr Brown. | Mr Johnson has been widely tipped as a potential successor to Mr Brown. |
| Two ballot papers | Two ballot papers |
| The health secretary urged the prime minister to involve the public in "a root and branch examination of our political system" in order to regain trust following the expenses scandal. | The health secretary urged the prime minister to involve the public in "a root and branch examination of our political system" in order to regain trust following the expenses scandal. |
| "We need to overhaul the engine, not just clean the upholstery," he wrote. | "We need to overhaul the engine, not just clean the upholstery," he wrote. |
| Under the current first-past-the-post system - or "winner takes all" - the successful candidate is the one with the most votes, with no requirement for them to gain an absolute majority. | Under the current first-past-the-post system - or "winner takes all" - the successful candidate is the one with the most votes, with no requirement for them to gain an absolute majority. |
| But Mr Johnson said the government had the mandate to change that and should hold a referendum on "a specific new system". | But Mr Johnson said the government had the mandate to change that and should hold a referendum on "a specific new system". |
| The system he favours is known as Alternative Vote Plus and was first suggested by the Independent Commission on Electoral Reform, led by Lord Jenkins, in 1998. | The system he favours is known as Alternative Vote Plus and was first suggested by the Independent Commission on Electoral Reform, led by Lord Jenkins, in 1998. |
| Under AV Plus, voters would have two ballot papers: one for their constituency representative and a second for their favoured political party. | Under AV Plus, voters would have two ballot papers: one for their constituency representative and a second for their favoured political party. |
| Most seats in the Commons would be filled with locally elected MPs, but the remainder would be allocated by proportional representation according to the number of votes cast for each party. | Most seats in the Commons would be filled with locally elected MPs, but the remainder would be allocated by proportional representation according to the number of votes cast for each party. |
| The Jenkins Commission referred to the second ballot as a "corrective top-up" which would allow the make-up of Parliament to more accurately reflect voters' overall party preferences. | The Jenkins Commission referred to the second ballot as a "corrective top-up" which would allow the make-up of Parliament to more accurately reflect voters' overall party preferences. |
| Calling this an "elegant" option, Mr Johnson said: "This is a genuinely radical alternative that only Labour in government can facilitate." | Calling this an "elegant" option, Mr Johnson said: "This is a genuinely radical alternative that only Labour in government can facilitate." |
| Fundamental issue | |
| Speaking later to the BBC, he said the review of the voting system would be part of a fundamental examination of the political system. | |
| "We're going to look at fixed term parliaments, reform of the House of Lords, more power for Parliament over the executive," he said. | |
| "It would be absolutely perverse, if in the course of the debate we didn't look at the fundamental issue here, how people elect their representatives. | |
| "As Tom Stoppard once said, it's not voting that defines a democracy, it's how those votes are counted, so electoral reform has to be part of this debate". | |
| In the interview he said he expected Gordon Brown to lead the Labour Party into the next election. This is despite some members of the party not wanting him Mr Johnson to rule himself out as leader. | |
| Dr Ken Ritchie, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said Mr Johnson should be congratulated for speaking out about the need to overall the "decrepit first-past-the-post system". | Dr Ken Ritchie, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said Mr Johnson should be congratulated for speaking out about the need to overall the "decrepit first-past-the-post system". |
| "His proposal... is a breath of fresh air in the debate on MPs' expenses that risks turning into a cul-de-sac," Dr Ritchie said. | "His proposal... is a breath of fresh air in the debate on MPs' expenses that risks turning into a cul-de-sac," Dr Ritchie said. |
| "Of course we need to make sure that MPs do not abuse the expense system, but simply preventing MPs from doing what they should not be doing is hardly a reform." | "Of course we need to make sure that MPs do not abuse the expense system, but simply preventing MPs from doing what they should not be doing is hardly a reform." |