Growing opposition to the alternative vote

Alex

While I am personally in favour of AV and will vote for it, it was Labour's idea during the election.

My question: Was any idea of Gordon Brown a good? Don't think so!

...... maybe I need to rethink my position after all.

Mycroft

This is none too surprising. The fact that the LDs have gone into coalition will obviously reduce support for AV among Labour voters; a significant amount of the support for it from the left must have been founded on the assumption that the two supposedly progressive parties would always gang up to keep the Conservatives out.

TrevorsDen

if balls is against it - shouldn't I be for it?

How come its OK for his party to elect (possibly) him by AV but not for the rest of us

Chris lancashire

I hadn't bothered too much about it but if Balls is against it, it must be a good thing, I'll be voting for it.

HJ

Can you stop posting photos of Ed Balls please?

It has been a relief that Brown's face has disappeared from public view, but you keep spoiling it by consistently posting pictures of his mini-me.

Who cares, anyway, what Balls thinks about anything?

ollie

If Balls is against it, I am for it. I am for anything that reduces Labour's indefensible advantage.

Let's not start getting carried away with polls again - just two months after an election. Seriously, they don't mean squat.

Tankus

Maybe balls is playing a double bluff..!

Richard of York

Cleggie the fag will be reading the Guardian jobs page with more interest very soon.
Happy days

Nicholas Hallam

Support for AV was bound to fall when people began to understand a little more about the proposal.

While I favour FPTP I can see that a proportional system would have some merits at least in respect of "fairness". AV does not share this benefit. What is fairer about a system which returns the least disfavoured rather than the most favoured candidate?

Boudicca

Labour only supported AV when they thought it would guarantee left-of-centre Governments in perpetuity; with the LibDems automatically supporting Labour. This had nothing to do with a fairer voting system and everything to do with keeping Labour in power. Now they know that isn't the case, they are very quickly changing their tune.

I don't support AV because in practice it will ensure that candidates for the minority parties (in my case UKIP) won't get elected and votes for them will end up being re-distributed to one of the 'big 3.' It is intended to suppress calls for PR with the argument that our vote isn't 'wasted' whilst at the same time ensuring that it will have no effect on the outcome. I think that is why Cameron isn't too bothered about it; he assumes that under AV, the 'missing' Tory voters who have gone to UKIP will mainly place the Conservatives as their second choice, so we will recover the 'lost' vote.

David Ossitt

Chris lancashire

“I hadn't bothered too much about it but if Balls is against it, it must be a good thing, I'll be voting for it.”

Chris that is not what you could call a reasoned argument, the fact that Ed Balls is almost always in the wrong, should not deter you from doing the right thing, just because idiot boy is on this occasion on the right track.

Marcher Baron

I'd rather keep FPTP and have the constituencies evened out so that any inherent bias is reduced.

lescam

HJ - It has been a relief that Brown's face has disappeared from public view

You can say that again. Seeing his miserable countenance glaring at me from the front pages first thing in the morning was enough to make me want to top myself. Balls isn't quite as bad, he is merely fairly repugnant, whereas Bully Brown was suicide-inducing.

lescam

My favourite motto; if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Will be voting to keep FPTP.

Paddy

If Balls is voting against it I am voting for it.

Cogito Ergosum

FPTP has the great merit of simplicity. The losers will never like its results, but everyone can understand those results.

This is a major benefit.

Wullie

'Growing opposition....'.

Good good.

Koakona

How do you neutralize the boundaries of first past the post is a key question hidden in this, I favour fptp but all those who say even it out how do you do that. I live in an area where depending upon which borders you transfer (assuming council ward majority voting) turn a marginal into a safe seat?

Believe in fptp but those who say take out the inherent bias must also be unbiased in their redrawing.

For fptp is still democracy, and we are still British so fair play is important.

EyeSee

I think, as a politician Ed Balls is absolutely key and people should listen closely to what he has to say. Any point of view that Ed Balls naturally assumes will be the direct opposite of the right and best thing to do. He truly is Clueless in Westminster.