Let’s have the Alternative Vote for elections here

Published: 12 May, 2011

• THE national result of the Alternative Vote referendum may have been a clear No but locally the picture was different.  

Camden, along with five other London boroughs including Islington and Haringey, delivered a Yes vote. 

So in an era of localism and devolved powers why can’t we see the voice of Camden voters listened to and future local elections in Camden undertaken using AV?

JOHN NICHOLSON
Raglan Street, NW5 

Progressive!

• I’D like to thank Camden for voting Yes in the referendum on scrapping our clapped-out voting system. 

Camden can be proud that we were joined by only five other progressive London boroughs that backed change. 

Camden’s reformers should not be dispirited that a well-funded No campaign killed our hopes this time. Instead, we should focus our energies on the battles ahead. We need to take big money out of politics and democratise the Lords. 

We need to curb the power of the out-of-control banks. 

The coalition agreement allows these and other reforms, but we’ll need to fight to make them happen.

LEE BAKER
Regent Square, WC1

Yes or No?

• I WAS surprised that the wording for the referendum vote was listed on the ballot paper as Yes – No rather than No – Yes. 

As far as I know ballot papers are always listed alphabetically so it should have been worded No – Yes. 

It is a known fact that candidates who are listed alphabetically higher do better than those listed lower. 

There is a tendency to go to the top of the page. 

I wanted to vote No and only just prevented myself from putting my X in the Yes box.

Perhaps the wording should have been: “Do you want to continue with the current voting system of first-past-the post?”

JOHN MACDONALD
NW3

Traditions?

• A BIG thank you to Camden for saying Yes to AV with a number of other London boroughs.

Of course, nation-wide it was rejected, but why?

It was noteworthy that once you explained to undecided voters the key issues addressed by the Alternative Vote, people seemed to agree with it.

There is nothing “traditional” about our electoral system. 

It has been evolving, adjusting to our democratic aspirations since the 19th century with women getting to vote equally with men in 1928. 

Our voting system has further developed since then with regard to local, mayoral and European elections.

Our tradition in Britain is democracy and the democratic process itself. 

That is why Britain is known as the mother of democracy. 

It is a tradition that will no doubt persuade the electorate to move away in time from the unhealthy first-past-the-post system and adopt proportional representation.

CONSTANTINE BUHAYER
Camden Green Party