Voting system divides opinion

A referendum on the Alternative Vote will be held on May 5, the same day as the local elections

THE VOTE on changes to how MPs are elected is some months away, but the issue has already caused division among the politicos of Newbury.

A referendum on the Alternative Vote (AV), in which the public will decide whether to replace the existing first-past-the-post system for electing MPs to Westminster with a new method in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, will take place on May 5, the same day as the local elections.

The victorious candidate in the last election, Conservative MP for Newbury Richard Benyon, said he would not be voting for change.

“AV is a shockingly bad system. In closely fought seats you could often have the third placed candidate coming first. Fringe parties such as the BNP or UKIP could end up deciding the candidate. I'm definitely in favour of first past the post,” he said.

The opposite view was taken by the former MP for Newbury David Rendel (Lib Dem, Thatcham North), who said he would be voting for AV.

“I don't think the current system is fair at all; it's appalling and undemocratic,” he said.

“We have never had a democratic election in this country except for the last 10 months when the ruling party was formed from a vote of the majority of people.”

He claimed the main reason people did not wish to change was because the current system has been in place for so long.

“The argument that it is simply the system we have always had, as a reason not to change it, is absurd. There are a variety of different voting systems employed, in the Welsh and Scottish parliaments as well as the EU. Once people see there are better ways of selecting MPs we will get much more representative system.”

The Newbury Labour Party has said it will not take a party line on the issue, and individual members can vote whichever way they see fit, according to community organiser Richard Garvie.

"Although we are not supporting or voting against it as a party, I will probably vote against it as AV isn't actually a fairer system than what we have at present. I believe the fairest way to elect an MP is by having one vote per person, and that is exactly what we have right now,” he said.

Do you think the existing first-past-the-post system is the fairest way of selecting MPs or would you like to see change?

Have your say on the Newburytoday.co.uk forum or email your views to mark.taylor@newburynews.co.uk.