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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Clegg under fire over referendum | Clegg under fire over referendum |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Deputy PM Nick Clegg has come under fire for planning a voting system referendum on the day of elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. | Deputy PM Nick Clegg has come under fire for planning a voting system referendum on the day of elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| He wants the vote on switching from first-past-the-post on 5 May 2011. | He wants the vote on switching from first-past-the-post on 5 May 2011. |
| A succession of Tory MPs criticised the planned date and Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd said it smacked of "contempt". | A succession of Tory MPs criticised the planned date and Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd said it smacked of "contempt". |
| Mr Clegg said holding it on the same day would save millions and voters would be asked an "uncomplicated" yes or no question. | Mr Clegg said holding it on the same day would save millions and voters would be asked an "uncomplicated" yes or no question. |
| Referendum anger | Referendum anger |
| In a wide-ranging statement on electoral reform he announced plans for fixed-term parliaments, plans to cap the number of MPs at 600 - 50 fewer than now - and to review constituency boundaries to create "fewer and more equally sized" seats. | In a wide-ranging statement on electoral reform he announced plans for fixed-term parliaments, plans to cap the number of MPs at 600 - 50 fewer than now - and to review constituency boundaries to create "fewer and more equally sized" seats. |
| But it was his decision to set a date for a referendum on changing the voting system to the alternative vote (AV) which upset some MPs. | |
| Fairly or not, electoral reform has mostly been seen as the preserve of Liberal Democrats and anoraks. | Fairly or not, electoral reform has mostly been seen as the preserve of Liberal Democrats and anoraks. |
| Ask the public, and they will express a view (the latest polling suggests a significant minority would like to see the voting system changed). Don't ask, and the subject is unlikely to come up. | Ask the public, and they will express a view (the latest polling suggests a significant minority would like to see the voting system changed). Don't ask, and the subject is unlikely to come up. |
| But Monday's announcement, confirming there will be legislation to hold a referendum on replacing the current first-past-the-post voting system with the Alternative Vote on May 5 2011, is deeply significant. The referendum was the Lib Dems' essential precondition for a coalition deal. | |
| But the Tories have already begun to split. David Cameron and most of his party support the status quo. | But the Tories have already begun to split. David Cameron and most of his party support the status quo. |
| Some Tories, though, will also oppose the legislation, and they will be joined by some on the Labour side too, despite Labour's support for a referendum at the last election. | |
| If the legislation fails, or if the referendum is lost, it could, conceivably, test the coalition to breaking point. | If the legislation fails, or if the referendum is lost, it could, conceivably, test the coalition to breaking point. |
| Clegg outlines vote reform plans | Clegg outlines vote reform plans |
| The referendum was a key part of the coalition deal between the Lib Dems, who want to change the voting system, and the Conservatives, who back first-past-the-post. | The referendum was a key part of the coalition deal between the Lib Dems, who want to change the voting system, and the Conservatives, who back first-past-the-post. |
| Their MPs will be ordered to support a referendum when legislation comes to the Commons - but they will be free to campaign on opposite sides of the debate. | Their MPs will be ordered to support a referendum when legislation comes to the Commons - but they will be free to campaign on opposite sides of the debate. |
| Several Tory MPs stood up to criticise the decision to hold a referendum on 5 May. | Several Tory MPs stood up to criticise the decision to hold a referendum on 5 May. |
| The former shadow home secretary David Davis warned it would lead to "differential turnouts which means that the subsequent referendum is unrepresentative". | |
| Tory MP Bernard Jenkin, who is expected to play a leading role in the "no" campaign in any referendum, said that while changing the voting system was a "big deal" in Westminster, it was of "scant interest" to most people. | |
| He suggested Mr Clegg was "artificially inflating the turnout" - without any advice from the Electoral Commission. | He suggested Mr Clegg was "artificially inflating the turnout" - without any advice from the Electoral Commission. |
| 'Skewed result' | 'Skewed result' |
| Conservative MP Gavin Barwell added that the date "could lead to a skewed result" as people in areas where there were no elections that day would be less likely to turn out to vote in the referendum. | |
| For Plaid Cymru, Mr Llwyd said it ignored the finding of previous reports and "sounds to me not like the respect agenda but actually the contempt agenda". | |
| DUP MP William McCrea complained there were already two sets of elections in Northern Ireland on that day - the Assembly and local government elections - and asked if they were expected to move one. | |
| Speaking for the SNP after the debate, Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said SNP ministers would try to block the "utterly unacceptable" date. | Speaking for the SNP after the debate, Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said SNP ministers would try to block the "utterly unacceptable" date. |
| She said: "There is a real danger of the Scottish Parliamentary elections being overshadowed and the issues that really matter to the people of Scotland being eclipsed." | |
| Lib Dem silence | |
| Labour's Austin Mitchell said it was a shame Mr Clegg did not have the "guts" to stick by his desire for proportional representation - and said AV would only benefit the Lib Dems. | Labour's Austin Mitchell said it was a shame Mr Clegg did not have the "guts" to stick by his desire for proportional representation - and said AV would only benefit the Lib Dems. |
| Shadow justice secretary Jack Straw said none of the four previous referendums in the UK had been held on the same day as an election. | Shadow justice secretary Jack Straw said none of the four previous referendums in the UK had been held on the same day as an election. |
| He added: "Would it not be altogether more sensible to consult widely on the best possible date and then add the date to the Bill in due course?" | He added: "Would it not be altogether more sensible to consult widely on the best possible date and then add the date to the Bill in due course?" |
| Mr Clegg said the referendum would be on a simple "yes or no" question at a time people were voting anyway - and it was "patronising" to suggest people could not make more than one decision on the same day. | Mr Clegg said the referendum would be on a simple "yes or no" question at a time people were voting anyway - and it was "patronising" to suggest people could not make more than one decision on the same day. |
| He argued it would cost millions to hold a referendum on another day and "additional cost, complexity and delay" would arise. | He argued it would cost millions to hold a referendum on another day and "additional cost, complexity and delay" would arise. |
| But BBC political correspondent Norman Smith said the silence among Lib Dem MPs was astonishing - with only one or two getting up to back Mr Clegg - something he said would be deeply worrying for the deputy PM. | |
| There were also hints that Tory MPs might try to introduce amendments to ensure the referendum would only be binding if at least 40% of the electorate took part. | |
| AV was not the Lib Dems' first choice - they would prefer the Single Transferable Vote, a more proportional system. | |
| Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock told BBC Radio 4's PM programme it was "second best and for that reason I think a number of people are not that enthusiastic about it". But he added: "At least it's a step in the right direction". | |
| He also said he would have preferred the referendum to have been later. | |
| Under the proposed AV system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. | Under the proposed AV system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. |
| Anyone getting more than 50% in the first round is elected, otherwise the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and voters' second choices allocated to those remaining. This process continues until a winner emerges. | Anyone getting more than 50% in the first round is elected, otherwise the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and voters' second choices allocated to those remaining. This process continues until a winner emerges. |