David Cameron and his deputy will be campaigning on opposite sides, writes MARK HENNESSY
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is to be targeted by opponents of plans to change the United Kingdom’s election voting rules.
The legislation necessary to hold the referendum, which is due to take place on May 5th, was passed with just hours to spare late on Thursday night after the House of Lords backed away from a constitutional confrontation with the Commons.
Peers had twice voted for an amendment that would have required a 40 per cent turnout by the electorate on the issue, but they finally backed down after the Conservative/Liberal Democrat alliance rejected the change.
Under the reforms, the existing first-past-the-post system would be replaced by the Alternative Vote system, which would require all MPs to win 50 per cent of the support of voters in their constituencies in first and second preferences.
Opponents argue that such a change would be a recipe for permanent coalition government, though their arguments that it would cost £250 million to introduce have, so far, not stood up to scrutiny.
Backed by a £1m fund, the No2AV campaign is now to target the Liberal Democrat leader in a UK-wide poster and car bumper sticker publicity campaign, portraying him as “President Clegg”.
Today, Mr Clegg and prime minister David Cameron, who opposes the voting rules change but who accepted a referendum as part of the price of a coalition agreement, will make speeches on opposing sides of the argument.
In his speech, Mr Clegg is expected to argue that the existing first-past-the-post system – which makes all but 150 of the 650 seats in the Commons “safe seats” – is partly to blame for the MPs’ expenses scandal.
“It is because there were so many MPs taking their constituents for granted that so many abused their expenses. When a system makes corruption more likely, it should be changed,” he will say, according to an early draft.
However, Mr Cameron, who has being criticised by Conservative MPs who oppose the change for taking too soft a line on the issue, will argue that it will offer too much power to smaller parties “who come in last”.
The legislation was held up for an unprecedentedly long 17 days in committee in the House of Lords, where Labour peers filibustered in an attempt to prevent its passage in time. It had to be finished by Thursday night to give the electoral commission time to organise the referendum being held alongside devolved elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and local elections in England.
Under the legislation, the number of MPs will be cut by 50 to 600, while constituencies will be made more equal in size – which has led to accusations of gerrymandering by the Conservatives, who should benefit most.
Many Labour MPs who favour voting reform are reluctant to do much to ensure it gets majority support from voters because it would provide a major fillip for the Liberal Democrats.
Given his current lack of popularity, Mr Clegg is set to play a low-profile role in the campaign ahead, though he has accused opponents’ attempts to target him as “playing the man rather than the ball”.