Tonight’s the night
David Blackburn 9:07am
There's no rest for the wicked. Conservative whips have spent a frantic summer urging
Tory opponents of electoral reform to retreat from their opposition. According to Paul Goodman, the whips have been blunt: the
government could collapse if its reform bill is defeated tonight. Their scaremongering seems to have had the desired effect. The Financial Times reports:
‘Members of that group told the FT they were likely to advocate not opposing the government now, but supporting amendments at a later stage on the timing and threshold of the referendum in future debates.’
The Mail carries a similar report, with David Davis anointing himself rebel-in-chief and stating that he hopes to ‘get the bill modified to take on board certain things’.
There is a sense that this rebellion’s scale was exaggerated. The rebels look disparate. The usual phalanx from the right was joined by a motley detachment from the party’s more liberal wing. Some oppose electoral reform on principle and others object to the proposed timing and conduct of a referendum. Point-by-point amendment at the second and third readings will improve a poorly drafted piece of legislation without gifting Labour a major but thoroughly dishonourable victory by derailing a policy it supported 3 months ago.
Assuming that Cameron and Clegg have the numbers for this evening’s vote, which they apparently now do, the coalition is safe; Nick Clegg can head for the Lib Dem conference having won the prize none of his predecessors secured. But the bill’s future progress will be arduous as each pocket of Tory resistance fights for its concession, supported by Labour’s concentrated opposition. The whips face a busy autumn.
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Peter From Maidstone
September 6th, 2010 9:19am Report this commentSorry, I don't understand why changing our electoral system is described as REFORM and those who do not think it needs changing, or that the proposed changes will improve anything are described as opposing REFORM.
Can you please not use language in such a way as to suggest that the argument has already been won by the Liberal Democrats. It has not. Indeed there has not yet been an argument.
Changing things is not the same as reform. It is just change. We often do not need change we need reform. Changing the voting system is not a reform unless and until it can be shown to have improved democracy.
George Lees
September 6th, 2010 10:27am Report this commentYou are right "reform" is the most abused term in politics and the media do not expose it. Personally I would opose anything labeled 'reform' on principle. If we exchanged the word reform for a simple word like "change" then perhaps people wouold look more closely. Another abused word is progressive.
alexsandr
September 6th, 2010 10:36am Report this commentI think PR will be a disaster, so I hope the bill passes, so the redrawing of constuency boundaries can be done, but that the referendum gives a no answer.
However, i think the bill should include provisions to reduce electoral fraud in postal voting. I think there should be a medical qualification for a postal vote - it should not be available to every tom dick and harry.
an ex-Tory voter
September 6th, 2010 1:10pm Report this commentDC & NC have the whole thing in the bag. As for amendments later, pleeeeease don't insult us with that possibility. It will not happen and is only put forward as a means of further reducing the will of those who oppose this change to our voting system. It is going to need a huge shift in the politics of the nation before we get a Parliament actually willing to defend the British people and their national interest. Those who sit on their hands while privately complaining and still taking the salary provided by their voters are no less culpable than the present government.
an ex-Tory voter
September 6th, 2010 1:23pm Report this commentAs for the boundary changes being in the same bill as AV. It is merely another mechanism by which the Coalition try to ensure the passage of their bill. As I have said elsewhere, MPs were voted in by their constituents and should vote on that basis alone. "If the bill falls the government falls" is not sufficient justification for voting through something which is not supported by those who elected you. Grow a backbone, stand up, speak non principle and then vote in the same way. If more of the supine Tory Party were to do that the Colalition would not risk dissolution by including a measure likely to result in loss of a crucial vote in the house.
Verity
September 6th, 2010 1:30pm Report this commentWell observed to Peter from Maidstone!
Verity
September 6th, 2010 1:34pm Report this commentAlexandr right obverves, re the postal vote- "it should not be available to every tom dick and harry."
Nor every Amir, Omar and mohammad. Nor every Aysha, etc etc. Put those neighbourhood "uncles" who ho fill in the forms of the multitudes out of business.
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