For whatever reason, people keep ascribing views to me which I do not hold. Never has this been clearer than during this dreadful campaign leading up to today’s referendum on The Alternative Vote.
I don’t mind AV. It’s not a bad electoral system, it would probably work fine in parliamentary elections. It might even give a slightly more representative House of Commons.
What it would also do is change something for no solidly good reason. It would render boring the political system, guarantee no more election night counts and deny us our wine charged Portillo moments. It would make counts last longer and make them more expensive, it would result in BNP members in our national parliament and it would produce more coalitions. Manifestos would mean nothing in an even more profound sense than is already true, torn up and rewritten as they would be in Cabinet Office briefing rooms.
That which it is not necessary to do, it is necessary not to do. Ockham would look at the proposal to add complex to the election process and shake his head. That is what people should do today.
