Andy Burnham says "It would be a recipe for chaos and confusion if Labour candidates were also supporting AV in their literature." He's wrong - the party should campaign for AV.
Late on Friday afternoon, the Guardian’s Patrick Wintour revealed that Labour would not be campaigning in the alternative vote referendum. Aside from John Rentoul’s Independent on Sunday column, which lamented the death of electoral reform, the story sunk without a trace. The media may not be interested but progressives should urge Labour’s leadership to have a rethink.
The Guardian quoted Labour’s election coordinator, Andy Burnham, arguing that:
“The referendum should have been held on its own day, when the yes and no campaigns could have argued it out. Our sole priority has to be, and will be, winning in Scotland, and Wales, and doing well in the local elections.
“It would be a recipe for chaos and confusion if Labour candidates were also supporting AV in their literature. The election and referendum campaigns have to be separate and distinct.
Burnham’s pronouncement is counter-productive for five reasons.
First, it belies the spirit of Labour’s existing policy at a time when the party is (rightly) criticising others for veering from their previous objectives. Labour’s manifesto said:
“To ensure that every MP is supported by the majority of their constituents voting at each election, we will hold a referendum on introducing the Alternative Vote for elections to the House of Commons.”
During the leadership campaign Ed Miliband went further and told Left Foot Forward, “I support AV for the House of Commons and will campaign for it.” Little wonder, when the system worked so well for him during his own leadership contest. Reversing this position now will look to political and constitutional reformers like rank opportunism.
Second, given the likelihood of future hung parliaments (perhaps even next year in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly), Labour has to show that it can work across party lines on areas of shared interest. Labour’s new leader recognised this during his conference speech so it seems odd that he should abandon this position at the first significant opportunity presented to him to work with Lib Dem colleagues.
Third, there is no obvious reason why Labour can’t, in LBJ’s words, “walk and chew gum”. Why shouldn’t Labour’s candidates support AV in their literature? After all, there is no additional cost to including a line in a direct mail or leaflet that is already paid for. While the party can be excused for prioritising victory in Scotland and Wales, campaigning for AV need not be a huge drain on resources or time.
Fourth, from a narrow party interest perspective, AV is in the Labour party’s interest. A projection by the Electoral Reform Society suggested that Labour would have won four more seats in 2010 under AV while the Tories would have won 26 fewer seats. Analysis from the BBC suggests that Labour would have won more seats in 1997, 2001, and 2005 (although it would have had fewer seats in 1983, 1987 and 1992).
Finally, those hoping that the defeat of the AV referendum will deliver a hammer blow to the Coalition are misguided. Nick Clegg has already told activists that he will remain Deputy Prime Minister regardless of the result. Clegg, as has often been observed, looks comfortable with his Conservative colleagues. Hours spent sitting around the Cabinet table adjudicating on the cuts has left a strong bond between the Lib Dem leader, Danny Alexander, George Osborne and David Cameron. A “little local difficulty” in May’s elections will hardly puncture those relationships.
NB: I look forward to Tom Harris’ fisking!
121 Responses to “Labour should campaign on AV”
Roger
Disgusting.
Ralph Miliband was a Jewish refugee who would probably have died in Auschwitz if he hadn’t escaped to Britain.
He spent his entire life here as a teacher in universities that employed people on their merits and was no more a ‘leach’ (people who make racist slurs really should at least learn to spell their own language) than any schoolteacher or binman or soldier or policeman who worked for the state.
What depresses me most about the internet is that it liberates every hate-filled moron on the planet to parade their stupidity.
Wouldn’t you be happier commenting at the Daily Mail site?
Chris
@mouse the tory press officer
“Public forum. People watching. You telling lies and smearing people.”
Yawn, you never answered when I discovered you quoting an entire paragraph from a tory press release.
“You said none of the following was true so let’s try again:”
Boring, its entirely subjective, in your crazy drug addled mind anything you dream up is gospel.
“1. Ed Miliband is rubbish so far.”
How do you quantify that? At PMQs he has bested Cameron 3/4.
“2. Property property millionaire champagne socialist is also true.”
No he isn’t, his wife bought the house according to the newspapers. He isn’t even on the deeds.
“3. Primrose Hill is true.”
No its Kentish Town actually.
“4. His Marxist (Jewish I don’t care about) father was given sanctuary by us.”
So?
“5. He preached Marxism in the UK and considered Tony Benn too right wing at one point.”
Your sock puppets actual phase was “enslave”, it depends on your concept of slavery. Is working 40 hours a week just to receive the unemployment benefits your paid your stamp to get slavery? Some loony rightwing morons, like yourself, would argue having to pay the 50p tax band is slavery.
“Case closed (again).”
LOL, more sedatives for you tonight, I’ll tell the night nurse.
@mousey’s sock puppet
“If I can just add that Miliband senior spent his life leaching off the public purse. And his real name was Adolphe. That should have set alarm bells ringing for us!”
Yawn, what a pathetic little stream of shit you’ve puked up. As Roger suggested go join the circle wank at the Daily Fail.
Hal Berstram
Getting back to the issue in hand rather than right wing trolling…
I think Ed Miliband should do a “Wilson ’75” and allow Labour MPs, party members and Shadow Ministers who support AV to campaign openly for it, while those who are against can campaign against it. Personally I will vote for AV because the Tories are against it. But I’m not an enthusiastic advocate – it’s not that much better than FTTP really. I’d prefer to see STV or AV Plus – real proportional representation.
andrew
I will be voting no ,as i want to give the coalition as much pain as i can That may be narrow minded but i just hate Nick and Danny so much, and if they won they would ram it down our throats
ANDY
Anon E Mouse
Chris – Public forum. People watching. You telling lies and smearing people. Sound familiar?
I can only conclude that you are either winding people up or you are thick.
To not know about the Primrose Hill millionaire but never done a days work Ed Miliband and his property and tax status I simply don’t believe.
It is impossible to argue coherently with someone, who despite advice from his parents and teachers continues to behave in an obsessional and deluded manner…