AV Referendum now officially scheduled for May 5 - finally it's up to the people! (Bexley Borough Liberal Democrats)

Bexley Borough Liberal Democrats <info@bexleylibdems.org.uk>

AV Referendum now officially scheduled for May 5 - finally it's up to the people!

February 24, 2011 11:02 PM

News came through last week that there will definitely be a referendum in May, about whether to ditch the out-dated "first past the post" electoral system, under which millions of British people are forced to vote for parties that are not their preferred choice, and millions more just have their vote discarded.

Here local Lib Dem campaigner Jack Stephens explains why people should vote YES! in the referendum on May 5th:

Politics affects all of us, so most people have an opinion. In a dynamic democracy like Britain, everyone has different views about how things should be run, and by whom. Unfortunately, at election time the views of most British people are ignored. Most seats never change hands, and when they do the result is decided by a small number of swing voters. Politicians know they can concentrate on impressing these swing voters and ignore everyone else, so that's what they do, part of the reason why all of our politicians look and sound the same!

Meanwhile, MPs in safe seats know they can keep their jobs however bad a job they do. If you want to know what happens when politicians get complacent and don't receive proper scrutiny, just think back to the expenses scandal!

How can politicians just ignore so many of us like this? The answer is the electoral system we use. The "winner takes all" system doesn't reflect the real wishes of voters. Many of you will have been in that tough situation, wanting to vote for your favourite candidate but knowing they have never won in your area before. You are forced to vote tactically, for someone who would not normally be your first choice. That's not real democracy!

It's not fair for your views to be ignored at election time, which is why the referendum on May 5^th is so important. You can decide to make the voting system fairer. It's a small change, but it will make a big difference. Instead of just voting against the party you don't like, you can give your first vote to the party you do like. Politicians will need the support of a majority of their constituents, so will have to work harder and represent you better. Please vote Yes to Fairer Votes on May 5^th to remind politicians that they work for you, not themselves!

Visit http://www.yestofairervotes.org/ now to find out how you can help with the campaign!