Miliband defies Labour grandees to support AV
Wednesday, 8 December 2010 12:00 AM
Ed Miliband has thrown his weight, along with at least eight members of his shadow Cabinet, to support a change in the voting system next May.
The Labour leader is a known supporter of the Alternative Vote (AV) system, having written the 2010 Labour manifesto promising a change to AV and announcing he favoured the system in the Labour leadership campaign.
Mr Miliband will be joined by several on his front bench team including Sadiq Khan, Hilary Benn, Tessa Jowell, Liam Byrne, John Denham, Peter Hain and Douglas Alexander in supporting the change.
His shadow chancellor Alan Johnson is also well-known for his support of electoral reform.
In a letter published in the Guardian and signed by dozens of MPs and high-profile Labour supporters, the campaign wrote: "First past the post isn't working. When just a few thousand people determine every election result in a few swing seats, the interests of the Labour party and the people we represent go unheard.
"When people switch off from politics it damages Labour, not the Tories. That's why the Tories don't want fairer votes.
"They don't want change; they say no! Labour is the party of fairness and change. Labour says yes."
The Labour campaign will co-ordinate with the main 'Yes to fairer votes' organisation despite concerns that it will impinge on Labour's local election campaign.
The move makes unlikely allies of Mr Miliband and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who have enjoyed bitter relations over the issue of tuition fees.
But the AV push is not yet official Labour party policy, with Mr Miliband allowing his MPs a free hand to campaign which way they wish.
His support will set him against many Labour giants from yesteryear, including John Prescott, Margaret Beckett and David Blunkett - all of whom are supporting the 'No to AV' campaign.
Should the AV referendum be won by the supporters of reform, it would present a political quandary for Conservatives staunchly opposed to any change in the voting system, who may begin to question the prime minister's decision to allow the vote as part of the coalition agreement.
But if the vote is lost, it would be hugely damaging to the Liberal Democrats whose pursuit of electoral reform stretches back decades.
Labour remains divided on the issue, despite the manifesto pledge to introduce AV.
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