tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post7189737247022597162..comments2024-03-29T14:09:49.674+00:00Comments on Liberal England: James Graham on why the AV referendum was lostJonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-65692063258735865232011-06-04T05:51:24.259+01:002011-06-04T05:51:24.259+01:00Nice to know that my puzzlement about the Yes camp...Nice to know that my puzzlement about the Yes campaign was becaue it really was a mess. But I'm wary of comparisons with Scotland, because the population of Scotland is only just over 5 million - I think that its easier to communicate with, and engender a sense of community in, that number than with the 50 million in England.<br /><br />I'm told that the French have strong regional assemblies (similar population to us, about 3 times the land area). But we made a great mess of trying to do that... Francis Maude MP (Cabinet Office Minister) recently said that we are a very centralised country... So to some extent the AV referendum may have tested the water here, but I think that we have a lot more work to do on engagement with the citizenry before they will trust government to change the electoral system.dreamingspirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00324207120279777521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-50875170924906965162011-06-03T10:08:49.297+01:002011-06-03T10:08:49.297+01:00John Minard, this party supports PR, not AV. Under...John Minard, this party supports PR, not AV. Under PR it is possible to be elected on thresholds much lower than 50%. For example, it takes less than 10% support to be elected from one of the Scottish parliament's regional lists. Since we support PR why would we want to argue for making the post 50%?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-28722042839039986432011-06-03T09:11:04.947+01:002011-06-03T09:11:04.947+01:00Sorry, John Minard; I'm into the issue and I h...Sorry, John Minard; I'm into the issue and I had to think about that to understand it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-18680089055254296702011-06-02T20:13:24.031+01:002011-06-02T20:13:24.031+01:00the most obvious campaigning message would have be...the most obvious campaigning message would have been: 'make the post 50% - say yes to AV'!John minardhttp://tiny.cc/splashblognoreply@blogger.com