The Biggest Vote in a Generation

Tomorrow will be the most important vote I have made so far in my voting career. It will be time for the country to go into schools, churches, and a range of public buildings in order to make our mark for or against our current voting system.

From a politically biased point of view, I am all for expressing the opinion that "if Cameron thinks it's good, it's not for me, ta". However, we can't blindly fall into the trap about making this about our own personal thoughts on the parties and politicians representing us today. 

I fully believe that if (as is looking highly likely) if the country says "No to AV" tomorrow, the whole argument for electoral reform will be swept away for another few decades. The political elite (whose best interest it is in to maintain the status quo) will take it as read that the British public have no apetite for a fairer voting system and we will be stuck with the one that has resulted in repeatedly providing us with "strong majority governments" who were often not elected on the strong mandate that First Past the Post arguably gives them.

Take for example our current MP, with 39.5% of the votes in Worcester in the last election, he represents the interests of 100% of his constituency. Working where I do, I have seen some particularly unattractive sentiments expressed to colleagues by our beloved representative which not only showed a lack of understanding of both the subject matter, and of the need to support individuals within a very harsh society. I am secure in the knowledge that because of the ideas he expressed and lack of understanding he betrayed, this man cannot represent the interests of the majority of his constituents, having as I do a strong belief in the inherent goodness of humankind.

Sadly, what we are left with in this referendum is a choice between two electoral systems I do not agree with. If you remember back in those Spring-like days of the New Labour government in the late 1990s, the Jenkins Commission recommended AV Plus, which would lead to more representative government. I, on the other hand, am a supporter of full Proportional Representation. 

Tomorrow is, however, not a choice between these four or even more electoral systems, it's presented to us as a choice between just two; whether we should maintain the status quo or whether you would prefer to have slightly more opportunity to express an opinion on what kind of ideals you want your MP to express.

Indeed, if under AV our current MP was voted in with over 50% of the vote, I might not like it, but at least he would have a mandate to follow his policies in the interests of his constituents.

So tomorrow I will go into our local primary school and vote "Yes to AV", not because I think it is a perfect system, but because I think it is much better than the current one, and only by voting in favour of one piece of reform can we show those dominant political elites that we really do have the stomach for reform.