Blunkett admits AV cost claims were “made up”

Right-Wing Watch

David Blunkett admits today the No campaign's claims about the cost of the reform were "made up". Vote Yes to AV today to end this kind of politics.

This blog has detailed the lies and deceit of the No campaign for months. On the eve of the AV referendum, leading No campaigner David Blunkett admits that the claims about the cost of the reform were “made up”.

Today’s Times reports (£):

The former Labour Home Secretary described the figure of £250 million, used by the No campaign to define the extra cost of AV, as “made up”.

Mr Blunkett said: “We are in the middle of an election campaign. People in elections use made-up figures. I have never used the £250 million figure. It [AV] would undoubtedly cost more but I have used an extra £90 million.”

Blunkett’s admission corroborates Channel 4 Fact Check‘s conclusion in March that the claim was “decidedly dodgy”. But Full Fact have undermined Blunkett’s claims about the “extra £90 million”. They report that “the referendum itself will cost £82 million, with the cost of voter education ahead of the referendum at £9 million” – both costs of the referendum not of AV itself.

Today’s decision time. Show the No campaign that there’s no place for this kind of politics in Britain by voting Yes to AV.

No related posts.

183 Responses to “Blunkett admits AV cost claims were “made up””

  1. Adnan Hussain

    "No campaign used made-up figures," says David Blunkett http://is.gd/RomyfR #yes2av #AV

  2. KG

    RT @wdjstraw: Dont be fooled. Even Blunkett admits the #No2AV cost claims were "made up" http://bit.ly/ln1PBg Vote #Yes2AV Pls RT

  3. Barney Carroll

    David Blunket says yes, the No 2 AV cost figures were plucked out of thin air. http://j.mp/kY6yHn

  4. Nigel

    Following the likely defeat in the referendum on AV, I think we need to face facts. The Labour party will not be able to bring in proportional representation, AV or any other positive changes to this ‘democracy’ until dinosaurs like Blunkett, Beckett, Reid et al are gone. This being so, it is up to supporters of the Liberal Democrats and other smaller parties who would vote tactically to force the issue:
    1. We need to all agree that we will no longer vote tactically to keep/vote a labour party candidate into a seat. We then need to contact Ed Miliband (I have already done so) to advise him that we will not be voting tactically for Labour. This may lead to him giving in and including a pledge on proportional representation immediately. More likely, he will stall.

    2. We all hold our noses!!?

    3. Given the probable level of tactical voting, this will lead to a huge majority for the Conservative party. However, if UKIP and other unmentionable parties were to do likewise, it could produce an interesting result in which we would discover the true support for smaller parties.

    4. We repeat (2) and (3) until the Labour party finally comes to its senses and signs a binding pledge witnessed by Supreme Court judges to introduce Proportional Representation withi 12 months of entering government.

    5. At the next general election, minor parties stand aside in Labour/Tory marginals, Labour stands aside in MP/Tory marginals and the progressive parties (and Labour) win a stonking majority.

    6. We all sit back and say aah, we didn’t realise it could be so easy!

    The refusal to vote tactically must be carried out in every election which is not run using proportional representation, General Election(s), Local Elections, By-elections etc.

    I would be interested in your and others thoughts.

  5. Dawn Barnes

    @nickdebois AV is 1 vote 1 person, but preferential; FPTP allows manifesto redundancy and coalition; AV costs fictional: http://ow.ly/4NZvM

Comments are closed.