James Forsyth James Forsyth

The two meanings of No PR

When the leadership reassuresConservatives that there’ll be no PR, they mean that Britain will not end up with a different voting system. When senior MPs tell the leadership that PR is a red-line, they mean a referendum on PR is unacceptable.

As I say in the Mail on Sunday, those close to the leadership are looking at the idea of a referendum on PR in two years time after a commission of inquiry chaired by someone who is not keen on PR. They think that this referendum could be won and is therefore worth risking if that’s the price of a deal with the Lib Dems. But if Cameron did agree this, then the internal Conservative coalition would be very shaky.

 

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