Rees-Mogg against voting reform

Keynsham’s new MP Jacob Rees-Mogg finds himself in the centre of a rebellion against coalition plans to reform voting.

Jacob Rees Mogg, who represents North East Somerset, is one of the gang of more than 40 disgruntled Tories campaigning to shift the date of a referendum on the introduction of the Alternative Vote (AV) system.

They fear holding it on the same day as Scottish and Welsh elections – May 5, 2011 – will favour the "Yes" campaign, spelling the end of Britain's traditional First-Past-the -Post method.

The group of MPs have been dubbed the "Brokeback rebels" in reference to key supporter former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis' reported comments likening the coalition to the gay love affair in the film Brokeback Mountain.

Those who have backed the Early Day Motion in the House of Commons are notably on the right of the Conservative party. That wing has become increasingly concerned about the concessions made to the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Rees Mogg said: "I'm concerned about all of the constitutional changes that are being proposed, they are being brought forward at a gallop.

"They are a result of the coalition talks and were not part of anyone's manifesto.

"I am not part of any cabal or anything like that, that is not my scene at all.

"I think AV is nonsense, it is a really bad system that tends to exaggerate results."

AV allows voters to rank candidates in their constituency in order of preference.