IAN PRESTON, campaign organiser for Yes to Fairer Votes in the North East

ARE you happy with the way things are at Westminster?

A ‘Yes’ vote in May’s referendum on the voting system tells the political class that we can’t continue with business as usual, especially after the expenses scandal.

Trust in our politicians was never high in this country, but all the talk of duck islands and trouser presses saw it plummet to new depths.

If you’re glazing over with all this talk of electoral systems please stick with me. The voting system is fundamental. It decides how parties campaign and whose votes matter.

The ‘first past the post’ system is broken. It has meant that most elections are fought and won in a handful of marginal seats, that our Governments are decided by a few hundred thousand people.

Most of our MPs are set for life in safe seats. It’s no wonder politicians seem so remote and unresponsive.

Adopting AV is a very gradual, very British change, but it retains what works with our current system – single members representing individual communities – and improves on it.

It means candidates will have to work harder to appeal beyond their core votes and aim to get the support of at least 50% of their voters. No more getting in with the votes of 3 in 10.

In the North East three quarters of MPs get in with less than 50% of the votes.

AV is a system which is widely used across civil society. Every major party – including The Labour Party, of which I am a member – uses a version of AV to elect their leaders and it is frequently used in Parliament.

MPs surely have nothing to fear by being asked to try to get the support of a majority of the people they are seeking to represent?

So let’s be clear. If AV helped extremists, why is Nick Griffin campaigning for a no vote? The reason is they’d do worse under AV. Not only is the ‘No’ campaign backed by the BNP, 99% of its funding comes from the Tories.

It is time that system got an overhaul. It is time for it to have an upgrade. That’s why I will be voting ‘Yes’ tomorrow and urge you to do the same.