Hardline Liberal Democrats yesterday urged the party leader, Mr Paddy Ashdown, not to accept a diluted version of electoral reform as the party continues to be riven by internal divisions on the issue.
As Liberal Democrat activists gathered for the first full day of the party's conference in Brighton, the party leadership was keen to point out that it believes Labour will not renege on the Lib-Lab electoral reform package struck before last year's election and that a referendum on changes to the electoral system will be held during this parliament.
In a debate on constitutional reform, the outgoing party president, Mr Robert MacLennan, warned Mr Ashdown that only the single transferable vote system of proportional representation (PR) would go far enough to reflect the "true wishes of the people". Highlighting party tensions on the issue, ahead of next month's report on electoral reform by former Labour cabinet minister, Lord Jenkins of Hillhead, Mr MacLennan told the delegates that PR would allow the "real strengths of opinion in the country to be expressed" and would command the support of a majority of the electorate.
While rival wings of the party argue that the Jenkins commission offers the party's only chance of winning electoral reform which would give more power to smaller political parties, some activists believe the report will recommend only a hybrid form of PR, awkwardly titled the alternative vote plus system. The party leadership has adopted a wait-and-see line with Mr Ashdown telling BBC Radio 4 it was "pretty pointless" to speculate on the details contained in the Jenkins commission report. "We will know Jenkins when we know Jenkins," he said loftily. However, his tone was less bullish than his comments at the weekend when he warned Labour he expected them to deliver on the Jenkins commission recommendations.
Earlier, the Liberal Democrats gave the Northern Ireland First Minister, Mr David Trimble, a standing ovation when he appeared on the conference platform to take part in a debate on the future of Northern Ireland. The delegates voted overwhelming in favour of the peace process and renewed their call for the decommissioning of terrorist weapons.
PA adds:
Mr Ashdown last night slapped down one of his senior MPs, claiming he was "overtired" and failed to understand his party's agreement with Labour. Mr Ashdown was infuriated with a claim by health spokesman, Mr Simon Hughes, that Mr Blair could delay a referendum on voting reform until after the next general election.
"I think Simon must be a bit overtired and I don't think he has been paying attention. He ought to know there is a very clear commitment," Mr Ashdown said.