Fairer Votes | Richard Davis

Izzard fronts Yes! Campaign National Launch

The Yes! People’s Campaign launch event was held on the weekend with talks from Eddie Izzard, Greg Dyke and Martin Bell (amongst others). This was a great chance to see how people from many different backgrounds are taking part in the campaign. But it isn’t just celebrities, it isn’t just politicians, the main campaign is being fronted by grassroots activists. And these are the people who went out and were dropping the banners and handing out leaflets across the capital (and indeed the country) on Saturday! You can watch a video from the campaign launch here.

Jack at People's Campaign Launch

We are now 0nly one month away from the date of the referendum and NOW is the time to pull out all the stops.

We need YOU on May 5^th! Can you work in Wandsworth on the day of the referendum? If you can help door knocking and phoning on May 5^th Email me today

Are you able to come to the official count at Wandsworth in the evening? Find out more – Email me today

GET INVOLVED THIS WEEK

I know the question on everyone’s lips – how can we help up until May 5^th? We need you to get involved with the high visibility and campaigning events below.

If you are already doing something, look to do just a little bit more – I cannot stress enough how this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to change our outdated undemocratic electoral system for the better and we need everyone to get involved. Please also email me if you can run any of these events!

Yes! People's Launch

Canvassing – Every Thursday. This week meeting @ Caffé Nero, Clapham Junction from 18:30; Sign up here
Phone Bank – Every Monday @ the Basement, 4 Ravenna Road, SW15 6AW come along for an hour between 17:30 until 21:00; Sign up here
Station Deliveries – We will be handing out leaflets at the following stations in the mornings from 7am until 9am;
- Balham – Monday 11^th April; Sign up here
- Clapham Junction – Wednesday 13^th April; Sign up here
- Clapham South – Tuesday 19^th April; Sign up here
- Putney East – Thursday 21^st April; Sign up here
Street Stall – come along adorned in Purple to spread the word in Balham – Saturday 16^th April from 11 am until 2pm; Sign up here
Deliveries – around streets where you live; I’ll bring you leaflets just Email me

PUTNEY DEBATES – The AV Debate

At the site of the old Putney Debates, St. Mary’s, Simon Hughes (for) will be debating with Lord Falconer (against) on 3^rd May from 19:30. Sign up here or email for more info.

Caroline Lucas speaking at Yes! launch

This morning I was at the cross party Yes! to Fairer Votes launch. It was good to see a range of people from Labour, Lib Dems and Greens as well as a number of people with no party affiliation there. In fact there were so many people in the packed room that there were people standing in the corridors to listen.

The speeches all contained the lines about MPs having to work harder, to listen more, ending safe seats and that the individuals vote will have a greater say. But there were also a few gems that I heard today that are worth a specific mention. Firstly Caroline Lucas said something that will stick in my head

“It is crucial we do not let the best be the enemy of the good”

Sometimes it is difficult to say why we should have the alternative vote (AV) if propotional representation (PR) is what we really want. Unfortunately PR is not on the table. Caroline Lucas tried to fight in Parliament for PR instead of AV. I’m sure the Lib Dems negotiation team faught for PR in the coalition agreement. But we don’t have it. We have AV. And in a choice between AV and first past the post, AV is better. So we cannot let PR be a detriment to the campaign as it is not on offer. But there is a chance for real political reform this May.

Tim Farron speaking at Yes! launch

It has been claimed that AV will let in extremist parties. But as John Denham pointed out the BNP are fully behind the No campaign because first past the post allows the possibility of an extremist candidate winning with a small share of the vote. Tim Farron explained how AV will stop it by saying that he “is yet to meet a luke warm fascist”, what he means is there are very few people who would ever vote for extremist parties as a 2nd preference, they are unlikely to ever get 50% of voters on their side.

Ed Miliband speaking at Yes! launch

Finally Charles Kennedy pointed out that in Scotland where a die-hard Tory is even more die-hard than the average Tory, they have moved away from first past the post and it is true that when you move away from first past the post, no one wants it back.

As one person has already commented to me “it is very exciting to be asked our view on how we elect MPs and have the chance to move on by saying Yes!”. This is a people’s campaign and it is so good that we have finally been given the ability to have our say in a national referendum.

First past the post works fine for a boat race, but not for electing our MPs to parliament.

On the weekend one of the most diverse groups of people I have ever seen at a political event gathered to campaign to change our voting system. The group pulled together people from students to pensioner, from all sides of the political spectrum, and from all corners of Wandsworth (and in a few cases much further affield – thanks to Cambridge Yes! for coming down).

The morning started with us draping a huge banner over Putney bridge before splitting off to both banks of the river to distribute leaflets to the crowds of spectators.

Aside from this, this week has seen a mass of activity for the Wandsworth Yes! team as we’ve

made well over 500 Yes! phone calls
delivered 10,000 Yes! leaflets
huge canvassing efforts
and the massive publicity event that was the Oxford Cambridge boat race

This is just the start though and we will up the activity, with many many more events happening over the next 5 weeks. This is a once in a life time chance to change the voting system, to change it to something fairer and I am so pleased that Wandsworth Yes! is stepping up to answer this call.

If you would like to help please sign up at the Wandsworth Yes! Website

Every year at work I am set a target, if I meet this target I get a bonus, if I fail to meet it I don’t. I would love to be in the position where if I didn’t reach my goals I could still get my bonus, if I achieved 90% is that close enough? Unfortunately that is not how it works. There is a line drawn in the sand and if I fail to cross it, I fail.

But what if I achieved 50% of my target while others in my company only achieved 30% of theirs? Should I get my bonus because I have clearly outperformed them. Again, this is not the way it works. If my colleagues are weak, it doesn’t mean that I should get my bonus.

So why is this the case in politics? Currently there is no target. There is no “post” which an MP must pass to get to Westminster. They simply have to achieve more votes than anyone else, which may be fine if there are two good candidates, but what if there are 3 or 4 or in some cases many many more. The MP can “win” by getting less than the majority of votes as happened up and down the country last year.

The alternative vote gives a different perspective. A line is drawn in the sand whereby an MP needs a majority of people voting to get elected. The target is set at 50% and that target is known by all. Any candidate who fails to achieve 50% will not get elected. It is not dependent on other candidates. It is not dependent on the other parties. It is dependent on how many people actually vote for the candidate.

For this reason I will be voting Yes in the upcoming referendum, I believe MPs should have a target, and to achieve that target they need to start talking to their electorate and listening to the majority. Not just relying on the weakness of their opposition and internal party support.

Yes! Campaign National Launch and Wandsworth Activities

Do not let the best be the enemy of the good

First Past the Post is Fine for A Boat Race

Some People Will Say No To Everything

Give MPs a Target