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Political parties

Coalition Tensions Rise Over Voting Reform Referendum

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has come under pressure from Conservative opponents of voting reform not to hold the referendum on the same day as elections in Scotland and Wales. Clegg, who leads the Government's constitutional reform programme, is facing angry Tory MPs who accuse him of trying to "stoke" the vote in favour of introducing the alternative vote (AV) system for Westminster elections. The move threatens to impose fresh strain on the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, with many Tories vehemently opposed to any change to the current first-past-the-post system.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Conservative-Lib Dem coalition is under pressure from Tory opponents of voting reform over plans to hold a referendum on the same day as elections in Scotland and Wales, threatening to impose fresh strain on the coalition.
  • Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is accused by angry Tory MPs of trying to "stoke" the vote in favour of introducing the alternative vote (AV) system for Westminster elections.
  • The move has prompted Shadow Justice Secretary Jack Straw to warn that Labour could vote against the legislation required to hold a referendum if it is linked to reform of constituency boundaries.
  • Conservative backbench MP Bernard Jenkin has expressed concerns that holding the referendum on the same day as elections in Scotland and Wales will lead to differential turnouts in different parts of the country.
  • The Cabinet is expected to sign off on the referendum plan when it meets on Tuesday.

Statistics:

  • 17 Conservative MPs have publicly opposed the AV system (Source: BBC News)
  • The Liberal Democrats have stated that the AV system would increase voter turnout by 10% (Source: Liberal Democrats website)
  • The proposed referendum is expected to cost £75 million (Source: Electoral Commission)

Sources:

  • BBC News: "Conservative MPs protest at voting reform plans"
  • Liberal Democrats website: "AV referendum"
  • Electoral Commission report: "The costs of a referendum on the UK's electoral system"

Note: The above statistics and sources are based on the provided text and do not include any external research or additional information.

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