Will Scotland tip the balance in the AV referendum?
Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP 7.31am
This year holds the greatest prospect for constitutional change in a decade. On 5th May, voters across the UK will be able to participate in a referendum on electoral reform.
Referenda are nothing new in Scotland. Many people will have voted in the poll to decide whether or not to establish a Scottish Parliament with devolved powers. However, some might ask - why should a national referendum, with no specific Scottish interest, be a matter of concern?
For one thing, Scottish votes might well be decisive. Elections for the Scottish Parliament will be held on the same day, making a high turnout north of the border a strong possibility. With English voters divided on whether or not to adopt the Alternative Vote (AV) system, their Scottish counterparts could tip the balance.
I can only hope that they choose to vote ‘no’.
I have long been against any change. The introduction of a more proportional electoral system might ensure a more representative balance of the parties in Westminster. Yet it would do so at the expense of popular Government. By making coalitions the norm rather than the exception, AV would lead us towards the European style system in which the Government is decided not by decisive electoral results but by shifting party allegiances and back room deals. A new Government could rise and fall without an election ever taking place. It wouldn’t quite be akin to the kind of changes being seen in the MIddle East but it would still be a step in the wrong direction!
The arguments against AV are compelling. I hope they find a receptive audience in Scotland.
