Clegg the Loser?

Photograph: Leon Neal/PA

One would have thought that the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, had had enough battering but he was back in the stocks yesterday with a draft bill to reform the House of Lords and was immediately attacked from both sides of both Houses as the Aunt Sally of the coalition. 

Ignoring voter apathy and the lack of enthusiasm for the Alternative Vote system, more elections are proposed with a different alternative voting system which, as critics have pointed out, if carried through would provide a second elected chamber which would not necessarily be in sympathy with the view of the Commons. The purpose of 'the other place' is to provide the opportunity for scrutiny and amendment by eminent men and women drawing on their experience and wisdom rather than party dogma. If it works, why change it?


One wonders if Nick Clegg is being set up.

"We are all in this together." (14)

The Prime Minister's conduct has not been without criticism.

Do you smell a rat?

Voters are lurching one way or the other over which system, AV or FPTP, is better for the country rather than simply considering which system is 'fairer'. Politicians I respect have come down on both sides, as do the arguments. To take the easy way out is not to abstain but simply let things be and vote 'No' but that is beginning to have a bit of a whiff about it.

There are increasing accusations of untruths and unfair funding. Despite being a free vote, it has been revealed that the 'No' campaign has been funded mainly by Tory party donors and that the 'No' campaign has received 100% support from the Conservative party, the party that is already set to gain from boundary changes. So a 'No' vote could result in the unfair possibility of one party dominance, possibly with a minority vote which would serve no-one's best interests. 

Some voters have already lost sight of what the referendum is all about using the campaign simply to attack the Deputy Prime Minister over what they regard as broken promises yet there are reports that the Prime Minister has broken his promise to Nick Clegg that he would not campaign vigorously for a 'No' vote as part of the coalition deal.

The Jenkins Report suggested a change from the first past the post system back in 1998 but the Conservative response was to pledge a fight against any moves to reform. While the Labour party is split on the issue the party most likely to benefit must be the Liberal Democrats who for years have suffered badly form disproportionate representation based on the number of votes received.

To vote 'No' on the basis of perceived experience of the coalition goes against expert opinion so in fairness the vote should be 'Yes'.