Tories promise Lib Dems AV referendum in 'final offer'
Conservative party offers Liberal Democrats referendum on electoral reform if they agree to coalition government
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Monday, 10, May 2010 07:43
By Matthew Champion.
The Conservative party has reacted to Gordon Brown's resignation gambit by promising the Liberal Democrats a referendum on electoral reform if they agree to form a coalition government with them instead of Labour.
Chief Tory negotiator William Hague told journalists after Mr Brown's announcement that he could promise Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg a referendum on the replacement of the current first past the post electoral system with alternative vote (AV).
Shadow foreign secretary Mr Hague said this represented a "final offer" as the talks aimed at resolving the impasse created by the hung parliament voted in on Thursday reached their endgame.
Earlier on Monday Tory and Lib Dem claims that negotiations were progressing were blown out of the water by Mr Brown's admission talks between Labour and the Lib Dems would begin and that he would be standing down as Labour leader and prime minister.
That move forced the Tories' hands, and within hours Mr Hague had returned with a promise to hold a referendum on AV.
"We will go the extra mile in a coalition government with the holding of a referendum on the AV system so the people of this country can decide what the best electoral system for the future is," the former Tory leader said.
"It is urgent that the country gets a stable government. The choice now for the Lib Dems is whether to go in with the Labour part in a government that would not be stable or secure and with a second unelected prime minister in a row [or reach a deal with the Tories].
"We are absolutely convinced we should not have another unelected prime minister and we should not change our voting system without a referendum.
"Whatever the Liberal Democrat decision that is our ground and we will stick to it."
Mr Hague added that the Lib Dems would be making a "great mistake" if they turned down the offer, although he admitted the Tories would campaign against AV in the event of a referendum.
Under an AV system, employed in the UK in the London mayoral elections among others, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate is the first preference of the majority of voters the candidate with the fewest number of first rankings is eliminated and their ballots redistributed to the remaining candidates in a process repeated until one obtains a majority.
Although AV is seen as fairer than first past the post it still does not represent a move towards proportional representation.