AV - Another Vice?

On 4th May the country will decide whether the electorate should change to the Altenative Voting system. Some say that the current system, the First-Past-the-Post system doesn't give enough representation to voters and does not recognise the want of the voting public.

AV has been said to cause hung parliaments by its detractors and is said to cure them by its supporters. Only three countries use AV - Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea - although it is used in Northern Irish and Scottish local elections, and it is also used to elect a leader by both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.

The FPTP post system is seen as being outdated as no other democracy in the world now uses it. Other other democratic nations now use variations of the Proportional Representation (PR) system. But what does it mean for the UK?

Firstly, the Conservative Party are against it and are only offering the referendum as part of the coalition pact with the LibDems, they claim that the system doesn't need change. Well they would, they're conservative. The Labour party seem to be split on the issue but are keeping their cards otherwise close to their chest in the hope that this issue will highlight and exacerbate the strains that are now beginning to show within the coalition.

There has been talk that AV will let in and give a greater platform for the lunatic fringe, like the right-wing British National Party (BNP) but they themselves prefer to keep the FPTP system as they believe it offers them a better chance to get votes. But will it give other, more 'positive' voices a platform? It appears not.


Ultimately, neither the of the two main parties seem particularly worried by a change in voting system. It would seem to cause the greatest pain to the Tories but it's highly likely to cause more than a tremor to the political landscape. The only party to benefit from the sytem - the LibDems have been so discredited and ruined by Nick Clegg and their uneasy tenancy of Downing Street that it'll be a good few generations before they can begin to think about sharing power again, if ever. It's certain that under the present system they'll ever get a shot of power for themselves.

So, what's the point? AV is yet another confidence trick, a re-branding exercise to make 'democracy' feel like it is inclusive to everyone in society - even the marginalised. Under the current system where politicos make their careers in private education institutions and finishing schools, as well as boardrooms as non-executive directors long - before they hit the campaign trail, the elite will continue to flourish regardless of the voting system.

It is yet another paradox that we entrust power to those who are good enough at courting favour and making money to create enough influence in the puiblic sphere; yet we fail to see that businessmen just cannot stop being just that. They will continue to generate cash and line their own pockets for as long as we give them the arena to do so.

In a generation there will no need to have Members of Parliament with the progress of technology. Those that claim to represent us, but can and are able to do very little will be saved their comfortable allowances and second homes as we will be all able to vote or partipate in referenda through mobile and internet technology. Perhaps then we can scrap the pointless facade of democracy and get on with being governed by the microchips that drive our lives and the companies that produce such technology.