Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has dismissed concerns over plans to hold a referendum on voting reform on the same day as elections to devolved administrations.
Speaking to the newly-constituted political and constitutional reform select committee last week, Mr. Clegg said:
“I really struggle to understand why the extensive and wide-ranging debates about the future of Scotland, about the government of Scotland, the politics of Holyrood would in any way be subsumed or overshadowed or overturned by a separate, very very clear, simple yes or no vote on how in future people vote for their MPs,” he said.
“I am genuinely trying to work out what the allegation is. I speak to friends of mine who will be voting in Scotland and they say they see no complexity at all.”
He said evidence from across the UK suggested the electorate was perfectly capable of dealing with a “dizzying array” of different voting systems and combined polls.
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If what Clegg says is true, then why have the LibDems and Tories been so actively vocal in opposing any moves to hold the referendum on Further Powers to the Welsh Assembly on the same day as the assembly election itself?
“There is a clear imperative to separate out the vote on powers for Wales from that electing the National Assembly. That is not because of any possible confusion from having more than one set of ballot papers, but because the issues and the arguments overlap. Both will be conducted with the same set of electors and in many ways the direction of the elections to the Assembly will be dictated by whether parties are pitching manifestos based on law-making powers or not.
The UK AV election is on a different set of issues and will be decided by a wider electorate. The two can be clearly separated. It is also good that having it on the same day as other elections may boost turnout and save money. After all this is an important change.”
http://peterblack.blogspot.com/2010/07/so-what-is-all-fuss-about.html