The AV referendum has triggered a vast range of views around the country, from the confused to the certain.
This is the last day before Britons can vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the AV system and we had a look around Twitter and Facebook to see people’s reactions.
People's reaction to AV on twitterfall.com
There are the ‘Yes’ supporters. Jonathan Burgess comments on Facebook: “Don’t forget to vote YES for AV on Thursday… I know it’s not PR, but we can’t let this chance to change the system slip away for ever…”
Luke Fay writes on Facebook: “Vote For AV unless you are happy with the First Past The Post system or don’t vote at all if you want other people to make all the decisions for you & you aren’t going to complain EVER about the government that we have.”
Paul Nash on Facebook: “On May 5th choose hope over fear. We have one chance to make all votes count. Vote yes to the Alternative vote to get politics working and make change happen… The answer is AV. The answer is YES!”
Not sure about AV
Other people show their uncertainty about the vote on Thursday. On Facebook, Hellen Shean “is sitting on the AV fence… there’s pros and cons for both. not really sure what i think.”
@ianchowcat tweets: “Undecided about AV: the no campaign is dire, but the yes campaign exaggerates the benefits….”@Ramone78 asks on Twitter: “AV or not AV that is the referendum! Still undecided over here!”
Or express strong arguments regarding the vote and the parties involved. On Facebok, Philip Bernard Ion “hopes that however people vote in the AV referendum, their decision won’t be based on something they misunderstand.”
@Simkett tweets “Over 50% of the Labour party are against AV. If it’s all about beating Dave C. Then there is something wrong with the AV camp…” Also on Twitter, @cricslats99 says “I’m surprised Cameron isn’t pro AV as he came second in Tory leadership 1st preferences.”
@Hughes_Matt says on Twitter: “There’ll be plenty of voters up here who, having not bothered to grasp the concept of AV, will too quickly write it off!”
‘Everybody gets what nobody wants’
Some of the Britons don’t enjoy the fuss about the AV. @Bertchester writes on Twitter: “Too much bun fighting between party politicians over #av . They still don’t realise the public just want the facts.” @Richard Wilson tweets: “I’m sick to death of David Cameron going round saying how complicated AV is.”
@James M. Gowland writes on Twitter “like I’ve said #FPTP gives you at least what some people want, but #AV means everybody gets what nobody wants!”
At present, the UK uses the ‘first past the post’ system to elect MPs to the House of Commons, but on Thursday, 5 May 2011, there will be a referendum which could change this.
Not clear about how AV works? see A beginners’ guide to the Alternative Vote (AV)
More news on AV, see Clegg’s unpopularity may derail voting reform
WHAT OF THE REFERENDUM ON AV VERSUS FPP?
The AV referendum was a horrific mess up and disastrous failure.
The Liberal Democrat leadership in its haste to share power and gain cabinet
posts forgot to adhere to the key principal many have justified voting for
them on over the years following the forging of the Alliance with the SDP.
That principal being to essentially stick to an uncompromising just
position on certain key issues; in this case a required continued commitment
to the need to introduce use of the single transferable vote used in multi
member constituencies for UK Parliamentary elections.
So many citizens who would have supported this option in a referendum were
indeed so angered by the naive and misguided wheeler dealing that lead to
the rubbish choice that was offered that, along with similar anger against
them and their actions as coalition partners on a couple of other key issues
(that caused such devastation to their elected ranks in the local election
contest), that they voted NO to AV while wanting STV. Not every NO vote to
AV was a YES vote to FPP.
For its part the NO case made against AV was worthy only of a regime
operating in the worst sort of third world banana republic.
A questionable cartel of interests including senior politicians, media
moguls and serious reactionaries made sure the process of choosing between
AV and FPP was not one that led to a decision based on education and
enlightenment but rather on scare mongering and downright lying.
The Prime Minister made himself party to offering the people this squalid
little third rate choice as he along with Nick Clegg chose to describe AV as
an alternative to our outdated and unrepresentative FPP system. How cynical,
and no choice at all really.
The PM may feel stronger and more empowered as a result of the overwhelming
rejection by the people of AV but he makes a serious error if he does so.
Significant numbers of people in this country are left disempowered and
aggrieved and more angry and disillusioned than before; and that has to be a
significant worry for those who ask us to trust in the democratic process as
it operates in the UK. What has been proven in this sorry affair is that it
is not worthy of such trust.
Reg Barritt
99 Hartington Street
Chester CH4 7BP
THE REAL CAMPAIGN FOR FAIR VOTES