‘Compromise better than our current system’

PADDY Ashdown admitted that the new Alternative Vote was a compromise – but said it was much better than the voting system we had at the moment.

Lord Ashdown yesterday visited Bristol supporters in favour of AV at their city centre headquarters in the run up to the national referendum on May 5.

Voters will be asked if they want to switch to AV or stay with the current First-Past-The-Post system.

Lord Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: “Yes, it’s a compromise but the question is, ‘Is it better than the system we have already?’

“And the answer is undoubtedly ‘Yes’ for three reasons. First, 60 per cent of MPs had more people voting against them than voting for them at the last General Election – I don’t call that very democratic.

“Second, there will be no more safe seats which means MPs will have to work for the public.

“And third, AV will put more power in the hands of the voters.”

Lord Ashdown was visiting the city on the day that a national poll showed that the Yes campaign was suffering a meltdown as an overwhelming number of voters were predicted to support the current voting system.

The argument is that younger people are more likely to support AV but are less likely to vote – older people will take the trouble to vote but more inclined to keep the present system.

Lord Ashdown said opinion polls were always going up and down in the run up to polling day.

He said if the debate could focus on the arguments instead of personality attacks by No campaigners, then they would win.

Lord Ashdown was also at the centre of a national storm over criticising David Cameron for a personal attack on Nick Clegg.

He said the Prime Minister should disassociate himself from the “tawdry tactics” of the ‘No’ campaign which was almost totally funded by the Conservatives.

● Somerset North East Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg will be taking part in a debate on changing the voting system in Keynsham on Saturday. The event is at St John’s Church Hall in the town, starting at 6pm.

Somerset North East – formerly Wansdyke – which turned blue at the last General Election would become a marginal seat if the new AV voting system was introduced, claim campaigners.

The seat was won by Mr Rees-Mogg last year from Labour’s Dan Norris.