Posted on July 21, 2011 by Phillip Lee

The AV referendum on 5th May will be a significant day when this country will have a chance to maintain the democratic principle of one person – one vote, which is entrenched in our current voting system. This is an extremely important issue and leading up to the referendum I have actively been campaigning to maintain our first-past-the-post system and taken part in many discussions on this subject. On 21st April I participated in a debate on the Andrew Peach Show on Radio Berkshire along with Fiona Mactaggart, the Labour MP for Slough and David Rendel, the former MP for Newbury, representing the Liberal Democrats. They both support a change to the AV voting system. Last week I appeared in another debate at Easthampstead Baptist Church Hall in Bracknell discussing the AV versus the first-past-the-post voting systems. This debate was again with Fiona Mactaggart and chaired impressively by Richard Ive who is Chairman of Ranelagh School Council. I was pleased to have a chance to address the issue in front of my constituents and it was a good chance to inform Bracknell constituents about what is at stake before the vote on 5th May.

Speaking for the Yes to AV side, Fiona Mactaggart argued that the AV system would create fairer results for the electorate. I believe that history time and time again has demonstrated that our current voting system delivers the Government that the electorate wants. When the country and the electorate have wanted a change of Government, the voting system has produced this change. The great majority of my colleagues, both on the opposition and Government side, share this view and this is perhaps the reason why the issue has steered clear of becoming party political.

Throughout the debate at Easthampstead Baptist Church Hall, especially during the question and answer session, it was apparent that many found the AV system complicated and most of the questions asked related to how this system actually works. I found this unsurprising, as I am often puzzled over the mechanics of AV and what results it may produce in an election. Fiona Mactaggart compared the system to an interview process where the interview panel choose candidates by giving their preferences instead of voting for one winner. However, few voters have the time and resources to review each candidate in an election process to the extent that interviewers have in the situation she described and I believe that one of the strongest arguments to retain our current first-past-the-post system is that simple and easy for everyone to understand. It is one person – one vote.

A large crowd of people attended the debate last Thursday and I hope this good turn-out demonstrates that many voters will take the time to vote on 5^th May. This issue is extremely important – it will determine how this country is governed and as such it will determine our future as a country. I hope the debate brought more clarity to the issue and that people of the Bracknell Constituency will know what is at stake in this referendum and vote no to AV.

(Published in The Wokingham Times on the 21st of April 2011)