I promised to identify some of the arguments against proportional representation (PR). The Prime Minister is proposing a referendum on the alternative vote (AV), but that does not qualify as a PR system. It is because it doesn’t that the Jenkins Commission came up with AV+. I confine myself here to PR and offer a taster…
A number of politicians have rushed in to argue that constitutional reform – be it proportional representation or an elected second chamber – is the answer to the current crisis. The logic of their argument is far from clear. The crisis is one of confidence in our political class, not in our basic constitutional framework. …
