MPs split on AV vote

Mar 3 2011 by Mark Johnson, Crosby Herald

LOCAL MPs are split on the Alternative Voting (AV) system as a referendum on the subject looms.

While Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson is in favour of the idea, Bootle MP Joe Benton is a firm supporter of the first past the post system of deciding who will be elected as constituency MPs.

Mr Esterson said he is voting yes on May 5 because he believes the country is in need of electoral reform, but Mr Benton argues that AV leads to compromise government lacking in strength.

The AV system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the second preferences of the lowest-placed candidate are redistributed until someone clears the 50% bar.

Mr Esterson joins his leader Ed Miliband who is urging his party’s MPs to vote for change – just five of his party’s 17 MPs in the Merseyside area will vote in favour of the change.

Mr Esterson said: “While I do think we need electoral reform, it is important to note that there are currently more pressing issues which are affecting people's lives right now.”

The Labour MP believes the debate over whether Britain should adopt the AV or not was nothing more than a ‘diversion’.

He said: “It is issues such as the wholesale loss of crucial services, mass redundancies which are around the corner in Sefton Council and fighting against the unfair cuts which are my priority.

“I refuse to be distracted by such an obvious attempt at diverting the electorate's attention in the run up to the most important local elections in a generation.”

Many MPs – including Joe Benton – are hostile to change.

Mr Benton said: “I recognise the argument about mathematical purity in trying to gain a consensus across the whole of the nation, but I think this system of AV is only a stepping stone towards some form of proportional representation.

“I look at the example of the European elections which is done on a system where we are voting for parties. So I’m a first past the post man and I firmly committed to that.”