What about AV?

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Sofa said:
The danger is that while one side of the argument see it as a step in the right direction others see it as ruining the chances of actually getting what was originally wanted being set back for generations.
As outlined above, I suspect that may be the plan. Divide and rule.

Either we vote to leave it as it is, or we vote for a change that isn't worth bothering with, and it turns out to be not worth bothering with, so we might just as well forget about any further change. OK?

Of course, the referendum doesn't have to be yes/no, we could just place our preferences in order - but perhaps I'm jumping the gun..
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The actual question to be asked has just been revealed - "Do you want the United Kingdom to adopt the 'alternative vote' system instead of the current 'first past the post' system for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons?"
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Just a thought on this.

If we have a referendum, we all get to vote? Anybody who couldn't care less, will not bother. Therefore we only have to take the opinions of those who actually give a crap. Therefore the turnout will be minimal, but how you vote will have a lot more impact?

Anybody for it will of course go and vote, the wuestion seems to be will enough people against it bother to vote? I suspect the apathy will be on the side of the FPTP lot?
 

Alan B'Stard

Well-Known Forumite
It's being held on the same day as local elections I believe, so this will increase turnout, although local elections are generally lower than general ones.
 

Sofa

I'm a Staffooooooordian
The Green Party is supporting the move to AV - http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/conference-av-campaign-adrian-ramsay.html

Having heard the arguments at Conference I have very much come round to the idea that it is a step in the right direction. To oppose a step in the right direction would most likely appear to others as contradictory and counter-productive to the real aim of gaining full PR. If AV is adopted then real PR would be a step closer. Also, FPTP is rubbish, so anything which gets the ball rolling in the right direction and ends FPTP has got to be a good thing.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Do you think AV will result in less intelligent people not voting, because they don't understand it? Any move away from FPTP is good as far as I'm concerned, but at least it was fairly obvious what to do!
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
tek-monkey said:
Do you think AV will result in less intelligent people not voting, because they don't understand it?
Is that necessarily a bad thing?

I can't help feeling that this is an 'improvement-limitation' excercise - intended to stave off a move to real PR until a time much further into the future. Better than the status quo, though.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
No, definately not a bad thing in regards that people who actually understand what they are hearing will be the ones to vote. Just a thought that enetered my head, wondered if they move to AV then have a low turnout, then go back to FPTP and call it a failed experiment 'but hey, at least we tried' kinda thing.
 

Sofa

I'm a Staffooooooordian
If anything I would expect there to be an increase in turnout because fewer people would feel that their vote was ineffectual. Perhaps AV would shake some people out of their apathy.
 

Alan B'Stard

Well-Known Forumite
The electoral commission believe that the proposed question is too hard to understand for some voters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11442445
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Good to see Mr Ed supports it too I suppose, if only those damn thicko's are able to read the question.
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
Please tell me you're not referring to this:

bbc said:
Do you want the United Kingdom to adopt the 'alternative vote' system instead of the current 'first past the post' system for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons?
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Man, thats just way too complex to ask at this time of the morning. I've not even had my special brew yet!
 

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
If you can't understand that then surely there is no way you will understand who or what you're voting for - so should you be voting at all?

EDIT:

Tick a box, init:

[ ] Stay the same
[ ] New way of doing things


Perhaps that would help?
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
shoes said:
If you can't understand that then surely there is no way you will understand who or what you're voting for - so should you be voting at all?

EDIT:

Tick a box, init:

[ ] Stay the same
[ ] New way of doing things


Perhaps that would help?
[ ] Leave it, it's not wurf it!..

[ ] Just do it!

&

[ ] Whatever.
 
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