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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
Clegg: AV is a surefire way of giving power to the people
April 21, 2011 10:19 AM
• [Apr 20] Nick Clegg writes: TWO years ago, this newspaper began its revelations about the expenses scandal that left Westminster reeling. Daily stories about moats and duck houses dominated the headlines. Public anger towards all politicians reached a fever pitch.
The anger and dismay everyone felt then may have diminished, but it hasn't gone away. And why should it? . . A new expenses regime has been brought in, but the work of cleaning up our politics must continue . . We are bringing democracy to the House of Lords. And, of course, we are about to have a referendum on how we elect MPs in the first place.
I believe there is a direct link between our electoral system and the expenses scandal. Why? Not because a new system like AV will turn all politicians into angels - but because the old first past the post system gives hundreds of MPs safe seats: jobs for life, no questions asked. And power without accountability always leads to trouble.
. . AV is one of the most widely used systems in Britain today. Millions of people in businesses, charities and voluntary bodies use it. All our main parties and politicians use a version of AV and preferential voting to select their leaders, their candidates and their officials. If it's good enough for them, what about everyone else?
. . This is not a revolution - it is a very British evolution. Over the years, we have excelled at making small steps in the right direction. This is another of those steps, keeping what people like about the current system, such as the link to constituencies, while addressing some of its worst flaws. So when you vote in the referendum on May 5, remember how you felt reading those stories two years ago, and ask yourself: would our democracy be better if MPs paid a bit more attention to the voters? I believe the answer is Yes.
• Clegg: AV is a surefire way of giving power to the people [Telegraph Apr 20]
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